The endorsement by the Swiss UN city is a concrete response to the urgent need to put an end to fossil fuel production, which is at the origin of the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine.

Geneva, 28th April 2022 -The city of Geneva passed a motion yesterday with 34 votes (with 24 against) in support of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, an international global initiative that advocates for a complementary mechanism to the Paris Agreement that implements a global phase out of fossil fuels. Geneva is the first Swiss city to publicly show its support for the Treaty, after more than 40 cities including Paris, Grenoble, Amsterdam, Toronto, Los Angeles and Barcelona.

Frédérique Perler, Mayor of Geneva said: "The City of Geneva is very proud to be the first city in Switzerland signing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. It joins 46 cities and local governments around the world, including Montreal, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Barcelona and Sydney. By signing this treaty, the City of Geneva is  "sending a message" to other cities in Switzerland and around the world, inviting them to follow suit and stop the exploration and expansion of new fossil fuels. Signing this treaty would be consistent with the City of Geneva's climate strategy."

Elena Ursache, City Councillor of the City of Geneva who initiated the motion, said: "Today more than ever, the City must take responsibility and commit to a clear abandonment of fossil fuels. We can therefore only welcome the positive vote from yesterday and the support for our green motion. We are very proud of the bold commitment Geneva is making by supporting the negotiation for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

Oil, gas and coal are responsible for 86% of the CO2 emissions that have caused climate change over the past decade. The latest IPCC report, which has been described by the UN Secretary General as a "file of shame", asserts that global emissions must be reduced by 43% by 2030 in order to limit warming to 1.5°C. Yet, at present, there is no international mechanism to directly address the source of these emissions and plan the phase out of fossil fuel production. Instead, global oil, gas and coal production is even expected to grow by 110% by 2030.

While Switzerland does not produce fossil fuels, it still plays a major role in the sector nonetheless. Swiss financial institutions are funding the expansion of oil extraction and coal mining in their publicly traded corporate stocks and bond portfolios, with limited progress since 2017. Moreover, while  Switzerland may have committed to stop financing fossil fuels abroad by 2022 at COP26 in Glasgow, the task is immense for a country with only 13% of its financial institutions portfolios aligned with a 2°C trajectory with regards to oil or coal production. Finally, given the country’s particularly high GDP per capita and strong economy, Switzerland has the resources to end oil, gas and coal dependency, while supporting an equitable transition giving more time to those countries most dependent on fossil fuels.

Loukina Tille, co-leader of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative in Switzerland, said: "At the end of 2020, a small group of student climate activists heard about this treaty from an international team and it awoke our interest because tackling fossil fuel production, not just demand, is absolutely necessary to end the climate emergency. Since then, we have met with Swiss politicians, economists and other key players to anchor the treaty's demand in the Swiss national context, a country that has all the means to actively participate in the energy transition."

Paula Rouiller, co-leader of the Treaty Swiss campaign, said: "We are calling for an international commitment to a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, here in Switzerland and around the world. A Global Week of Advocacy for the Treaty started on April 22, 2022 (Earth Day) but it is an ongoing effort to take the proposal to the different levels of government. For this occasion, we will contact several cities in Switzerland (Lausanne, Bienne, Berne, Sion, Bâle, Delémont, Neuchâtel and Fribourg in particular) so that they follow the example of Geneva, and also call upon all our elected officials in the Federal Chambers, our Minister of the Environment, as well as the Secretary General of the United Nations so that this urgent and indispensable initiative goes to the next level and receives formal diplomatic support.”

The campaign for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is inspired by treaties that have addressed the threats of nuclear weapons, landmines and other dangerous substances. In the past year, the campaign has received support from 101 Nobel laureates, 2,600 academics, 231 parliamentarians, hundreds of youth activists, a growing group of religious leaders and more than 1,300 civil society organisations.

For more information on the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, watch the introduction video on the international website and access the media center.

We also invite you to visit the Swiss Treaty campaign website for more information, as well as our Instagram account. A full report on the Treaty project in Switzerland will appear in the next issue of La Revue Durable.

Media Contacts:

Fossil Fuel Treaty Swiss Team:

Paula Rouiller, +41 79 134 81 57, (FR, DE)
Loukina Tille, +41 76 389 53 82, (FR, DE, EN)

For written demands:

switzerland@fossilfueltreaty.org

Viviana Varin
Senior Communications Associate, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (France)
viviana@fossilfueltreaty.org +33 6 63 48 52 67