WILL BIG OCEAN NATION

LEADERS CHAMPION A FOSSIL

FREE PACIFIC?

Talofa lava!

Today, government leaders, climate advocates, and civil society will gather in the Cook Islands for the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. The weight of the climate crisis—a stark reality for the Pacific—hangs heavy in the air. For decades, we have stood witness to its unyielding force, and our collective response can be nothing less than resolute. We now stand at the precipice of yet another devastating cyclone season made demonstrably worse by the continued warming of our oceans. 

We are indeed at the front lines of the climate crisis but make no mistake - the Pacific remains at the forefront of climate action.

It was only in March of this year when the 'Port Vila Call for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific' was born in the aftermath of two fierce cyclones in Vanuatu. Since then, we've witnessed this powerful proposal gain traction in numerous high-level meetings of governments across the Pacific. It's no coincidence that on the precipice of the most pivotal regional meeting of the year, Vanuatu grapples with the impacts of yet another Category 5 cyclone. Let there be no doubt—this is a fossil-fueled crisis. Just as we did the last time adversity came pounding on our doorsteps, we will emerge victorious in our resolve to chart the course ahead for climate action.

Our goals are crystal clear. We demand a resounding endorsement of the need to phase out fossil fuels by PIF Leaders, including a commitment to drive this forward at COP28, and support for the development of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Our neighbours in the Global North, especially Australia and New Zealand, must move beyond mere rhetoric and take decisive action against the relentless expansion of coal, oil, and gas. The era of equivocation is behind us. If Australia wishes to stand as a partner in hosting COP31 with the Pacific, it must be a partner in the fight against fossil fuels now.

The Pacific will continue to lead the charge towards a fossil free future, acutely aware of what's at stake. The world has seen the indomitable spirit of our islands, and we will continue to push so that future generations don’t just survive - but thrive. Come, and join us on this historic voyage.

Fa'afetai tele lava!

Auimatagi Joe Moeono-Kolio
Pacific Director
Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative

KĀPITI COAST KICKS OFF NZ CAMPAIGN FOR A FOSSIL FUEL TREATY

Kāpiti Coast District Council has become the first local government in Aotearoa New Zealand to formally endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty proposal. Now officially supported by eight nation-states across three continents, and backed personally by New Zealand’s Climate Minister James Shaw, campaigners nationwide have launched an impassioned campaign urging New Zealand to join the bloc of governments advocating for a negotiating mandate for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. Councillor Sophie Handford, who tabled the district’s motion, states, “We can’t have it both ways, signalling we see the climate crisis as an emergency but choosing not to take leadership.” Sign the petition calling on Aotearoa, New Zealand to endorse the Fossil Fuel Treaty!​​​​

PHASING OUT FOSSIL FUELS FOR ENERGY TRANSITION IS ‘UNSTOPPABLE’, SAYS IEA

The International Energy Agency's (IEA) latest World Energy Outlook (WEO) paints a transformative picture of the global energy landscape by 2030. Renewables are set to play a central role, constituting nearly half of the world's energy mix—a historic milestone. However, the report underscores that a sole reliance on renewables won't suffice. It highlights two critical points: demand for oil, gas, and coal will peak sooner than anticipated. Secondly, while reduced fossil fuel demand is a positive step, fossil fuel phaseout is inevitable to ensure the global temperature remains within the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement. According to Amiera Sawas, Head of Research for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative, the WEO's findings accentuate the urgency for governments to adopt a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, providing “the legal mechanism that will enable us to transform the transition into an opportunity for a safe, sustainable and fair future for all.”

PROMINENT GLOBAL ORGANISATIONS JOIN CALL FOR A FOSSIL FUEL TREATY

In the midst of the powerful surge of global support for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative in September, three prominent international climate justice organisations including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Global Citizen, and Climate Group have formally endorsed the call for the negotiation of a Treaty, to address the root cause of the climate crisis: the extraction and burning of fossil fuels. Public calls for a Treaty were made at the main stage of the Global Citizen Festival, which gathered 60,000 people in Central Park, and at high level events at New York Climate Week. In a panel discussion at the main plenary session hosted by Climate Group, Tzeporah Berman, founder and chair of the Fossil Fuel Treaty, further emphasised the critical need for international cooperation to phase out dangerous oil, gas and coal. At another Climate Week event, where the endorsement of the Treaty initiative was publicly announced, WWF’s Global Climate and Energy Lead, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, former Minister of the Environment of Peru, asserted, "The single greatest climate action we can take is to stop burning fossil fuels."

IN THE MEDIA

In October, the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty garnered 122 media hits, with a total reach of 310 million people across the globe. Here are a few of the most notable stories:

• Fossil Fuel Treaty Champion Carlo Angeles penned a stirring op-ed for Infobae, one of the world’s largest Spanish-speaking online outlets, on why the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is a “bold and necessary solution” to properly address the “white elephant in climate negotiations”—fossil fuels.

• The Guardian highlighted the alarming new ‘2023 State of the Climate Report’ revealing Earth’s vital signs had entered “uncharted territory” and scientists recommend a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

• El Heraldo de México published an op-ed written by Isabel Studer, President of Sostenibilidad Global, discussing the decline of the fossil fuel era and the California Assembly’s actions towards holding fossil fuel industries accountable, including suing them for their role in the climate crisis, as well as joining the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

• The Post narrated how Kāpiti Coast District Council became the first New Zealand local authority to endorse a motion for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty through a narrow vote.

SOCIALS WORTH SHARING

• With heavy hearts, we mourn the loss of Dr. Saleemul Huq, a guiding light and a Fossil Fuel Treaty Champion. His tireless work and dedication has left an indelible mark on the climate justice movement, and his legacy shall guide us as we carry on in this fight.

• On World Cities Day, we celebrated how 95 cities have officially joined the call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty! Who will help us get to 100?

• Vanuatu’s head of delegation, Kemson Tavdey, pulled no punches urging world leaders to end fossil fuels at the UNESCAP’s Asia and Pacific Energy Forum. 

LATEST REPORTS

• BioScience published a 2023 State of the Climate Report, in which scientists recommended the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to “provide support for less wealthy countries in transitioning away from coal and other fossil fuels, including funding to build out renewable energy capacity and retrain and transition workers from the fossil fuel industry.”

• The Global Coal Exit List, the world’s most comprehensive public database on the industry, reveals a bleak picture for the future of coal with only 71 companies out of 1,433 operating along the thermal coal value chain, announcing coal exit dates.

• The Three Basins Threat Report, launched in anticipation of the Three Basins Summit earlier in the month,exposes the expansion threats posed by fossil fuels in the world’s last intact remaining tropical forests in the basins of the Amazon, Congo, and Mekong-Borneo Southeast Asian regions.