Brussels - 21 December 2022 -  One month after COP27’s insufficient outcome where national governments failed once again to end their dependence on fossil fuels, the Brussels-Capital Region endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Launched two years ago, the treaty is a new bold proposal to complement the Paris Agreement and foster international cooperation to phase out oil, gas and coal production, responsible for more than 86% of CO2 emissions in the last decade.

H.E. Alain Maron, Minister for Climate Transition of the Brussels-Capital Region Government and initiator of the decision, said: “The objectives of the Paris Agreement can only be achieved if fossil fuels stay in the ground. We must accelerate the phasing out of fossil fuel use but also develop zero emissions alternatives that is why the Brussels-Capital Region joins the call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. At our level we have planned ambitious actions to make the transition possible for all. A fossil fuel free world is possible.”

The Brussels-Capital Region, which encompasses 19 municipalities including the City of Brussels, joins a global movement of +1800 civil society organisations, 3000 academics, 101 Nobel Laureates, hundreds of health institutions including the WHO, more than 70 cities and subnational governments, as well as two nation-states who have formally called for a Fossil Fuel Treaty to manage an equitable phase out of fossil fuels and a global just transition. The resolution underlines that:

• The achievement of the objectives set by the Paris Agreement and the commitment of the European Union to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 are accompanied by a gradual exit from fossil fuels and the deployment of renewable energies;

• The sixth assessment report of the IPCC (2021) stressing that “major transitions in the energy sector” are essential, implying “a substantial reduction” of the use of fossil fuels, widespread electrification, energy savings and the use of alternative fuels such as hydrogen;

• At COP27, the island state of Vanuatu, supported by the coalition of island countries, asked the Conference of Parties for an international treaty on the non-proliferation of fossil fuels, to gradually eliminate the use coal, oil and gas;

• The European Parliament has also supported the initiative through its resolution relating to COP27.

The Brussels Capital Region  government is actively committed to moving away from oil, gas and coal dependence, notably through the Air Climate Energy Plan. These policies contain key measures to accelerate fossil fuel phase out for buildings, heating, cooling and transportation by as early as 2025, and a final phase out by 2035 for mobility.

As the headquarters of the European Union, the Brussels-Capital Region's support for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is a direct response to the recent resolution by the European Parliament calling on nation states to "work towards a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty".

Richard Folland, leading on European political engagement for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, said: “Brussels-Capital Region's endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is a strong signal to Europe's leaders of the absolute imperative to live up to the energy crisis and the climate crisis.  A sustainable future for Europe and the world requires a just transition away from the global addiction to fossil fuels, and Brussels-Capital Region is already on the way.”

Seble Samuel, , Cities Lead for the Fossil Fuel Treaty campaign, said: “We are seeing a dangerous trend in the European dash for African gas to satisfy Europe’s short term energy demand. The Brussels-Capital Region’s recent endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Treaty, at the headquarters of the European Union, is an important refute to this deepening of the fossil fuel economy. Their support makes clear that the only possible way forward is a global just transition off fossil fuels.”