Talofa lava,

March has been a month of contrasting extremes for the Fossil Fuel Treaty initiative. We are equal parts horrified by the brutality of Russia’s terrible aggression and at the same time, inspired by the courageous spirit and valor of the Ukrainian people. Our thoughts and solidarity remain with them even now, as they face seemingly insurmountable odds with heroic, dignified resistance. Together with our partners, the Treaty network has mobilized strongly in support of Ukraine, pointing both to the urgency of helping Ukrainians as well as the broader need to end our dependence on an industry that is fueling both the climate crisis and Putin's war machine. This past month has also been inspiring the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative continues to gain momentum, notably through a new wave of endorsements from cities around the world, including Paris, and we welcome the State of Hawaii’s endorsement - the first from the Pacific

Here in the Pacific, the calls for a treaty banning fossil fuels at source is one we have made for decades. Climate change is no longer a distant threat - it is here, and it is now our daily, lived reality. As I walk along the shores of my village, it is hard not to notice the shrinking shoreline, as the ocean laps at the places where I once played as a child. If you walk further along this route, you will come across my father’s school, where he once played as a child, now completely underwater. 

I cannot help but wonder what my own son will see, when he is old enough to walk these shores one day, whether he’ll still be able to walk through the land of his ancestors like his father and those before him, or, having been forced to leave due to the continuing impact of sea level rise, whether one day he’ll just have to read about it in a book. This is why we do this work. The Fossil Fuel Treaty is now our last, best hope to secure the future and to halt the march into mutual catastrophe.

Where you are working on the Treaty Initiative - from the great metropolises of the world to the villages and small forgotten corners of the world - remember your why, the reason why you got into this work, the reason why this work is crucial, the reason why despite the many challenges, we cannot fail. We must always remember the why and bind ourselves to them for that is what will compel us to keep going. And from here in the Pacific, a reminder: We are not drowning, we are fighting! 

In Solidarity,

Joe Moeono-Kolio, Senior Pacific Advisor for the Treaty.

MORE SCIENTIFIC REPORTS REAFFIRM URGENCY TO PHASE OUT FOSSIL FUELS

IPCC report details “ litany of broken climate promises”

On Monday the latest IPCC report was published. The report further strengthened the scientific consensus that tackling fossil fuel production head on is a prerequisite for limiting warming to 1.5C. As Antonio Guterres said, this report details a “litany of broken climate promises”, adding that "the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels." Read our media release here.

The team hosted an event with 10 experts from across the world to reflect on expectations for the report, how fossil fuels are driving the crisis and why the Fossil Fuel Treaty is the bold idea that we need. Listen to these great reflections here.

Rich countries must phase out fossil fuel production this decade to meet 1.5C goal

Earlier last month, Kevin Anderson (one of the academics who has called for a Fossil Fuel Treaty), Professor of Energy and Climate Change at The University of Manchester, published Phaseout Pathways for Fossil Fuel Production Within Paris-compliant Carbon Budgets. This major report has guidance for policymakers, investors, and civil society organizations on oil and gas phase out dates that would be consistent with the Paris goals. We shared some of the report’s key findings on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

GLOBAL WEEK OF ADVOCACY STARTS ON APRIL 22ND

As you know, Stockholm+50 is an opportunity for the climate movement to build significant diplomatic support for tackling fossil fuel supply. We’ve begun our advocacy via the Stockholm+50 Leadership Dialogues and we will take it up a notch starting on April 22 with a Global Week of Advocacy, the largest coordinated advocacy push on fossil fuel production to Environment Ministers globally.

We’ve made it easy for anyone around the world to contact ministers directly, whether via  email, phone or Twitter. This is all in the name of pressuring policymakers to negotiate a global mechanism to manage a just transition away from coal, oil and gas. 

Sign up here to take action. Resources will soon be available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and more!

700+ TAKE A #STANDWITHUKRAINE

On March 4th, Ukrainian activists initiated a global demand to end the fossil fuel addiction feeding Putin’s war machine. Organizations all over the world are joining their call on world governments to reject and ban the importation of Russian oil and gas, and to rapidly phase out all fossil fuels in the name of peace. 

The #StandWithUkraine️ letter is supported by Roman Shakhmatenko, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection, and now includes more than 700 organizations across 60 countries. The call was covered by the AFP and then re-published in at least 16 different outlets across North America, Europe and Asia.

You can stand in solidarity with Ukraine by signing the call too.

TREATY MOMENTUM KEEPS BUILDING

Treaty is a key demand for youth’s #PeopleNotProfit Strike
Thousands rallied around the world as part of Fridays for the Future’s Global Climate strike. As a complement to the in-person strikes, the team prepared a number of digital actions, including the endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Treaty.

New wave of Parliamentarians’ endorsements
Parliamentarians’ support for a fossil free future is growing! 61 new Parliamentarians have signed on including signatories in Benin, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Chad, Chile, DRC, Ecuador, Eswatini, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Indonesia, Liberia, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Niger, Pakistan, Portugal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe. There are now 231 parliamentarians in 63 countries who are supporting the Treaty pillars. Help boost that number by sharing the call with your national elected officials here.

The Treaty campaign is officially launched in Latin America
Our allies and Latin American Treaty lead, MOCICC launched the campaign via a webinar on February 25. Alongside indigenous representatives and social organizations, we discussed how the Treaty campaign can be a tool for action or struggle, moving towards the progressive elimination of fossil fuel production and upgrade to renewable energy systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. MOCICC has created a logo in Spanish, specific to the Latin American Treaty campaign, which you are free to use. This is our first “regional logo” and you can download it here.

Two new team members in Latin America
The Treaty team keeps growing with two new members. Some of you will know Nathan Thanki from his work on the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice. He is currently based in Colombia and will support our work around the Stockholm+50 summit. Claudia Campero -based in Mexico City and having worked with the Mexican Alliance Against Fracking, Food and Water Watch, and Greenpeace- has joined the partnerships and engagement team, starting with a focus on Stockholm+50.

IN THE NEWS

Ukraine continues to dominate headlines, creating much space for our inspiring partner, Svitlana Romanko from the Laudato Si Movement, to highlight the urgency of putting an end to fossil fuel production. Svitlana has published an op-ed in the National Catholic Reporter, appeared on the New Economic Foundation podcast with steering committee member Tessa Khan, and has been featured in a series of articles alerting to this dual emergency, including in Democracy Now, The Energy Mix, CBC, and Desmog.

In The Ecologist, Andrew Simms and Peter Newell have specifically demonstrated how a Fossil Fuel Treaty can take the heat out of war and build the grounds for peace.

Tzeporah Berman wrote an op-ed in the National Observer about the need for Canada to not be fooled by oil and gas CEOs ready to exploit a new crisis to increase production. She also added that "investors and governments must stop falling for the distorted calculations and false promises of the industry that is fueling the crisis with its delaying tactics” in Climate Home News . Tzeporah also published another op-ed, co-authored with Ina-Maria Shikongo, on Canada's role in the destruction of the Okavango Delta. It was published in The Independent Media Institute and a dozen of their publishing partners.

In the Climate Citizen Podcast, Harjeet Singh explains how developed countries’ inaction is responsible both for the climate crisis and the bind that developing countries are in. Meena Raman participated in the BFM podcast to share her personal story of activism and to talk about the need for a global response based on international cooperation and equity to address the multiple crises we face. The Left Foot Forward highlights the support of several high profile British Greens for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty at their spring online conference. The Big Issue looks back at the #CodeRedActNow digital mobilization of climate activists and celebrities to tackle fossil fuels by supporting the call for a treaty.

Finally, Alex Rafalowizc published an op-ed in Colombia’s second largest newspaper El Espectador on how with the global energy system at a crossroads, Colombia needs to embrace a new economic model and shift away from fossil fuel production.

SIX ACTION ALERTS