GLOBAL MOVEMENT TO END

FOSSIL FUELS TAKES CENTRE

STAGE AT NEW YORK CLIMATE

WEEK

Greetings to one and all!

It’s been a momentous month for the Fossil Fuel Treaty and for the movement to end fossil fuels. Lucky for me, my first week with the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative coincided with our events at NY Climate Week and it was certainly an unforgettable experience—perhaps the best introduction to the awesome energy and impact of the team.

I was thrilled to be part of the thousands and thousands of people on the streets of New York, joining others around the world calling for the fair phase out of fossil fuels. It was the first time such a consistent message to end fossil fuels, globally and equitably, could be heard. This message was reinforced at the UN’s Climate Ambition Summit. It was incredible hearing Tuvalu’s Prime Minister and civil society representative Lidy Nacpil call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty on the UN floor. Other notable moments were when Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, exposed the deceit of fossil fuel corporations and declared: ‘This crisis is a fossil fuel crisis!’ And the President of the Marshall Islands, David Kabua, demanded that, ‘...abatement technology not be used to greenlight continued expansion. Fossil fuels are at the root of this crisis.’

As a Caribbean islander myself (I am a native of Trinidad and Tobago and spent a significant part of my youth and early career in Antigua), I was especially delighted when Antigua and Barbuda endorsed the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. They were joined by Timor-Leste in making the announcement as part of a special segment of the Global Citizens Festival. As islanders, we are very much on the frontline of the climate crisis and ending fossil fuels fast and fairly means everything to the survival of our life and livelihoods.

Timor-Leste’s endorsement is particularly significant as the first producer country to join the call. Despite Timor-Leste’s economic dependence on fossil fuels, the President, Jose Ramos-Horta showed incredible leadership in declaring the country would choose a development model which paves the way for a future free from fossil fuels. As President Ramos-Horta said, ‘Our battle against climate change demands collective action’, and I look forward to working with you all to take the Fossil Fuel Treaty’s work even further together.

Very best,​​​​​
​​​​​
Gillian Cooper
Political Director
Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA AND TIMOR-LESTE RALLY FOR A FOSSIL FUEL TREATY AT GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL

Antigua & Barbuda and Timor-Leste have officially become the first countries outside of the Pacific region to champion the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. These island nations, both highly vulnerable to the climate crisis, announced their resounding support for an international agreement to phase out fossil fuels at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York City.

Antigua & Barbuda is the first Caribbean nation to rally behind this cause, with their Prime Minister Gaston Browne calling the proposed Treaty “more than words” and “a binding plan to end the fossil fuel era.” His Excellency Jose Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste - the first fossil fuel-producing country to endorse the call - and Nobel Prize Laureate, appeared at the Global Citizen stage next to Fossil Fuel Treaty champion Suluafi Brianna Fruean to announce his country’s “solidarity with Pacific nations,” saying: “[The Treaty Initiative’s] mission is simple — to halt new fossil fuel ventures, phase out existing ones, and fund a fair shift to clean energy.”

With their support, the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty proposal is now being backed by 8 nation states on 3 different continents, and over 90 cities and subnational governments including the State of California, and, most recently, 9 Peruvian Indigenous Nations.

GOVERNMENTS & CIVIL SOCIETY BACK FOSSIL FUEL TREATY ON THE UNITED NATIONS FLOOR

Huge strides were also taken at the UN Secretary General’s Climate Ambition Summit in New York, where Prime Minister Kausea Natano of Tuvalu urged world leaders to support the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to “complement the Paris Agreement and ensure a global just transition.” This statement was seconded by Lidy Nacpil who spoke on behalf of climate justice civil society organisations to demand “a global phase out plan with clear timelines and fair sharing of actions to reach real zero by 2050." These statements appeared on the Chair’s Summary of the event, which highlighted the “first mover and doer” leaders calling and taking action for a fossil fuel phaseout. Furthermore, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of Solomon Islands addressed the UN General Assembly to advocate for world leaders to “further support the Port Vila Call for a just transition away from fossil fuels.”

OVER HALF A MILLION PEOPLE GLOBALLY MARCHED TO #ENDFOSSILFUELS

Last month was the hottest September on record, and an unprecedented global mobilisation saw over 600,000 people across every continent demand an urgent end to the fossil fuel era—the primary driver of the climate crisis today. Coordinated actions spanned 65 countries, from Pacific nations grappling with rising sea levels to cities like Mumbai, London, and Nairobi, all the way to Antarctica—culminating in a historic march attended by 75,000 people in New York City on the first day of Climate Week.

Backed by more than 3,800 organisations, the movement known as the “Global Fight to End Fossil Fuels” intensifies the call for nations to accelerate a just and equitable transition, including committing to a global plan like a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to “ensure that each country does its fair part.”

UK GREENLIGHTS MASSIVE ROSEBANK OIL FIELD, SPARKING CLIMATE OUTRAGE

Just a few days after the UN Climate Ambition Summit, where several world leaders called for the phase-out of fossil fuels, the British government, moving in the opposite direction, granted approval for the development of the colossal Rosebank oil and gas field in the North Sea. Located northwest of Shetland in Scotland, this field, primarily owned by Norwegian state-controlled energy company Equinor, holds the potential to yield 500 million barrels of oil, making it the largest untapped oil and gas reserve in the North Sea, and promising more CO2 than the combined emissions of 28 Global South countries.

This decision has been met with vehement opposition due to its potential to exceed the UK's climate targets starting as early as 2028. Critics argue that while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak contends these reserves will enhance energy security and lower costs, approximately 80% of UK-produced oil is exported, and will only further entrench the nation in fossil fuel dependency. This follows Sunak’s announcement of a dramatic scaleback of UK’s green policy commitments, despite widespread pushback from citizens, scientists, businesses, and lawmakers across the political divide.

IN THE MEDIA

In September, the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty garnered 1,132 media hits, with a total reach of 2.4 million people across the globe, most prominently in the USA, Canada, India, UK, Australia and Nigeria. Here are a few of the most notable stories:

• Common Dreams and The Guardian reported on the Climate Ambition Summit, in which UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that “humanity has opened gates to hell.” During the conference, Tuvalu’s prime minister called for a Fossil Fuel Treaty, adding, “The longer we remain addicted to fossil fuels, the longer we commit ourselves to mutual decline.”

• Antigua and Barbuda and Timor-Leste’s push for a Fossil Fuel Treaty made headlines on Financial Post, Truthout, and Common Dreams for being the first Caribbean island nation and Southeast Asian fossil-fuel-producing country, respectively, to endorse the global proposal.

• Harjeet Singh spoke to The Guardian calling out the lack of “accountability under the UN” for fossil fuel corporations who have been knowingly causing the climate crisis. He highlighted the need to “initiate a process to craft a new global fossil fuel treaty, filling the void left by the Paris agreement.”

SOCIALS WORTH SHARING

• With the help of Pacific Treaty Champions Suluafi Brianna Fruean and Ronnie Taulafo, we culminated the month with a recap video to celebrate the incredible momentum behind a Fossil Fuel Treaty throughout New York Climate Week!

• At the Global Citizen Festival, Fossil Fuel Treaty Champion Xiye Bastida and Bill Nye called on world leaders to support a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty in front of a roaring crowd of 50,000 supporters!

• The day before the Climate Ambition Summit, 9 indigenous nations called for a Fossil Fuel Treaty, setting a “precedent in the process for its implementation.”