Dear friends,

Over the past 18 months, our team, supported by our powerful network, took an enormous strategic and financial risk to help create the first-ever dedicated multilateral process focused on fossil fuel phase-out. Many people said it could not be done. We did it anyway.

The Santa Marta Conference became a historic breakthrough in climate diplomacy. Governments and a diverse range of sectors gathered to openly discuss managing a global fossil fuel phase-out, reducing economic dependence, scaling up international cooperation, and developing legal mechanisms, including a Fossil Fuel Treaty, to manage a fast, fair, and financed transition away from oil, gas, and coal.

The conference broke through decades of political deadlock within consensus-based forums. It generated global media attention, shifted international debate, and helped establish a new diplomatic process that will continue with future conferences, including the next conference co-hosted by Tuvalu and Ireland in 2027.

This breakthrough came at a real cost. After initiating the concept of a standalone conference on fossil fuels 18 months ago, we were one of the primary delivery partners to support the co-hosts, Colombia and the Netherlands, behind the scenes. We invested heavily in making Santa Marta successful, supporting (with staff and financing) everything across diplomacy, strategy, logistics, communications and Global South government participation.

That big bet paid off politically, and it now means we need to restructure for this next phase, right-size our budget, and sharpen our focus for the next chapter. As part of this transition, a number of extraordinary colleagues will be moving on from the initiative. This is the hardest part of this moment. These staff members helped build something historic. They brought intelligence, courage, creativity and relentless commitment to this work. Many worked far beyond what anyone could reasonably ask because they believed deeply in the possibility of changing the course of climate diplomacy. I am profoundly grateful to them and proud of what we achieved together.

As part of this next chapter, we are also establishing a new independent entity based in South Africa to support governments participating in the development of a Fossil Fuel Treaty and strengthen coordination across this growing global alliance. The movement for a Fossil Fuel Treaty has never had stronger momentum. Now we focus on turning that momentum into negotiations, commitments, cooperation and real mechanisms capable of delivering a just transition away from fossil fuels.

If you are one of the 4,000 partner organizations and constituencies, such as labour, human rights, women and gender, faith and health, who have endorsed the Fossil Fuel Treaty and are part of the growing network we urge you to make it your own. Plan your own events, campaigns and diplomatic outreach. We are still here to support you and coordinate so keep us informed, but our team is leaner so we will need to lean on the network more to keep the momentum going.

See you on the road to Tuvalu2027!

In solidarity,
Kumi Naidoo
President, Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative

MISSISSAUGA BECOMES 199TH CITY TO ENDORSE!

The City of Mississauga in Ontario, Canada has become the 199th city to endorse the Fossil Fuel Treaty. This achievement reflects the leadership of local residents and advocates who organized and called for a clean and equitable energy transition. Endorsing the Fossil Fuel Treaty sends a strong message to the provincial and federal governments that municipalities want and need climate action at higher levels.

Welcome Mississauga to the growing movement of cities around the world supporting the Fossil Fuel Treaty! 

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY AFFIRMS STATES’ DUTY TO ADDRESS CLIMATE HARM

In a landmark vote, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution affirming the findings of the International Court of Justice's historic Advisory Opinion on climate change. The resolution passed with overwhelming support.

Led by Vanuatu and a coalition of countries from across the Global South and beyond, the resolution demonstrates the growing momentum behind climate accountability and international cooperation. Together, the ICJ Advisory Opinion and this UN vote provide a strong legal foundation for advancing a Fossil Fuel Treaty and accelerating a fast, fair, and financed transition away from fossil fuels.

KENYA EXPLORES ROLE OF A FOSSIL FUEL TREATY IN ADVANCING ENERGY TRANSITION 

Kenya’s Ministry of Energy and the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative convened a two-day retreat to explore how the proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty could support implementation of Kenya’s National Energy Compact (2025–2030), which aims to achieve 100% clean energy and universal access to electricity and clean cooking by 2030.

The discussions highlighted Kenya’s leadership in the energy transition and the growing role African countries are playing in shaping global energy governance. With more than 90% of its electricity already generated from renewable sources, Kenya continues to demonstrate how climate action, energy access, and economic development can go hand-in-hand.

IN THE MEDIA

“The leadership demonstrated by Petro’s government has moved the phaseout of oil, gas and coal from the margins into the centre of global diplomacy, according to Tzeporah Berman, the founder and chair of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative. As a result, she said, this month’s presidential ballot will make international waves."

“The Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative dubbed the event “historic,” a description echoed by many countries and stakeholders. “A new reality is taking shape,” said Naidoo. “This is no longer a one-off moment, but the foundation of an ongoing international process dedicated to phasing out fossil fuels.”

“For the past thirty years, fossil fuels weren’t even mentioned at COPs,” said Tzeporah Berman, founder of the Fossil Fuel Treaty, a civil society initiative now endorsed by eighteen nation-states, including Colombia, and hundreds of subnational governments. Most of them are small island states in the Pacific region, particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, such as Vanuatu, Fiji, or Samoa.”

SOCIALS WORTH SHARING

Tzeporah Berman on Zero, a Bloomberg Green podcast


“You’re not talking about whether fossil fuel phase out needs to happen, you’re talking about how.”

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The world’s media is catching up to Santa Marta’s historic breakthrough

This was the first time in 30 years of climate talks that countries gathered to discuss how to deliver a fossil fuel phase-out.

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Help sustain this growing global momentum by making a donation to advance the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative’s work toward a fast, fair and financed transition from oil, gas and coal extraction.

Thank you for helping us take the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative to the next level!