PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 13 November, 2021

13 November, Glasgow - Negotiators at COP26 laid down their pens and the UK Presidency claimed victory for a successful event despite failing to address directly the elephant in the room, the biggest source of emissions - oil, gas and coal.

The meeting was significant in that it marked extended public (and behind closed doors) debate on coal, oil, and gas phase out at a United Nations climate meeting. However, the fossil fuel industry, which had the largest delegation in attendance, wielded its influence, resulting in the last-minute addition of loopholes large enough to drive a coal train through. 

While the UN process continues to be characterized by the shirking of historical commitments, there is growing momentum outside of the negotiations for a transformational shift on coal, oil, and gas production. One promising announcement, a first of its kind, was the formation of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance spearheaded by Denmark and Costa Rica. It represents a growing network of jurisdictions including France, Portugal and California that are willing to take the crucial first step to end new licensing for oil and gas production.

However, the Glasgow Climate Pact fell dangerously short of what the science telling us is needed. Draft language referencing the ‘effort’ to phase out coal was watered down to ‘phase down unabated coal power.’ This language conveys action is underway but in fact, creates loopholes to allow the continued expansion of new coal production with unproven carbon capture and storage technologies that have underperformed despite over a decade of high industry projections and billions in investment. Similarly, the call for an end to subsidies for fossil fuels was reined in to only include ‘inefficient subsidies’ with no clarity on what is efficient or not. Negotiations over the controversial Article Six of the Paris Agreement gave a further boost to the inherently problematic concept of carbon markets, which avoid focus on real measurable emission reductions at the source. Instead, the talks focused on strategies that allow countries to offset through unproven solutions that are not at scale, have dismal track records of harming people, ecosystems and human and Ingenous rights, and shift attention away from absolute emissions reductions and coal, oil, and gas production decline.

"It’s clear by the weak language in the negotiations summary that the hand of fossil fuel interests interfered with the text. While there is a recognition of the need to transition equitably to renewable energy, it’s imperative that we talk about what we are transitioning away from which is the source of the climate crisis fuelling impacts - oil, gas and coal,” said Harjeet Singh of Climate Action Network International.

“Wealthy countries are cooking their books by submitting Nationally Determined Contributions that are full of offsets that make their deeply inadequate targets look slightly better. 80 pecent of the world’s biodiversity is on Indigenous lands. Carbon market approaches would commodify these sacred places that are intertwined with who we are as Indigenous people,” said Eriel Deranger, member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and Founder and Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action based in Alberta, Canada.

“For the first time since the UN Climate Change Convention was agreed we have a reference to fossil fuels in the text. But it is a poisoned chalice, with the weak formulation allowing for greenwashing and false solutions by developed countries. These words are a last gasp by fossil fuel interests trying to extend the life of their dying industry, but outside these halls the world is already at a tipping point. It’s time for countries in the Global North to take the lead by kick-starting a fair and equitable phase out, and to support economies to diversify away from fossil fuels and enable people and communities across the globe to flourish through a just global transition.” said Lidy Nacpil, Coordinator of the Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development.

One of the most talked about ideas at COP26 was the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. This is a global plan to phase out fossil fuels production and accelerate a global energy transition, that places equity at the center so no country, community or worker is left behind in the shift to renewable energy and zero carbon solutions. The pillars of the proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty were endorsed by Fridays for the Future groups at COP26 and have support from more than 101 Nobel Laureates, 155 parliamentarians from 31 countries, 2,600 academics and 950 plus civil society organizations.

An essential step towards a treaty is increasing transparency and accountability. Currently, there is no publicly available database of fossil fuel developments and reserves. At COP26, Carbon Tracker Initiative and Global Energy Monitor launched the prototype of a Global Registry of Fossil Fuels to make this information publicly accessible. This provides a foundation for tracking the scale and responsibility of carbon emitters. This is essential to enable international negotiations and cooperation going forward.

A Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty would act as a complement to the Paris Agreement. Currently, there is no specific mechanism within climate negotiations to wind down fossil fuel production. In fact, the words oil, gas and coal do not even appear in the Paris Agreement. International cooperation around a fair phase out and fast tracking of solutions is required. With the exception of the first movers that have joined the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, it seems each fossil fuel producing country is clamoring to be the last one standing, able to continue producing oil, gas and coal regardless of the climate consequences. 

“It’s not an energy transition if we keep building out the problem. We need a Fossil Fuel Treaty that ends expansion of production, winds down existing fossil fuels in keeping with the world’s climate goals and fosters international cooperation. Wealthy, producing countries need to lead and support poorer countries to move to clean energy and zero carbon solutions. The Global South and Indigenous communities have borne the brunt of the climate crisis. It’s time to address this inequity and ensure climate, health and energy security for everyone,” said Tzeporah Berman, Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and International Program Director at Stand.Earth.

Media contacts:

Viviana Varin (Paris) viviana@fossilfueltreaty.org +33 6 63 48 52 67

Jemma De Leon (Chicago) jemma@fossilfueltreaty.org +1 909 536 9714