Watch the press conference in full.

3rd JUNE 2022 - For the first time an official UN conference - this week’s UN Stockholm+50 conference - has recognised the need to phase out all fossil fuels - oil, gas and coal - and the need for financial and technical support for a just transition for fossil fuel dependent countries as read out in the final plenary with the final text to be confirmed. 

Since the first UN conference on the environment, held in Stockholm in 1972, we have had 50 years of environmental conferences that have left fossil fuels as the elephant in the room. The UN processes, even those on climate change, have barely made explicit reference to coal, oil and gas, despite them being responsible for 86% of carbon emissions driving the climate crisis in the past decade alone. Momentum to tackle fossil fuels head on has grown exponentially over the last two decades with civil society, science and frontline communities urging a decisive shift away from the fossil fuel industry. Stockholm+50 shows that decision makers may start to listen.

There were calls from the floor calling for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and strong calls to end the expansion of fossil fuels and, while the final text has yet to be released, it would be an important move to see those calls echoed in the closing documents.

Tzeporah Berman, Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said: “For too long, fossil fuel production has become a festering wound of the climate crisis due to decades of ignoring the problem at the negotiating table. We have no more time for targets without action, vague net zero promises and accounting tricks while governments continue to approve more oil, gas and coal projects. The bottom line is the world's governments still have no framework for working together to end the expansion of fossil fuel production and that’s why we need a Fossil Fuel Treaty.“

Governments around the world are still approving plans to produce twice as much oil, gas and coal than can be burned for a livable planet, taking us far off track to limit warming to 1.5C. As the UNEP Production Gap Report has consistently highlighted, failure to stop fossil fuel expansion and to plan for a global just transition for the managed phase out of fossil fuels undermines any efforts to meet Paris Agreement goals. 

While the recognition of the threat posed by fossil fuels is a welcome step, we remain concerned some of the language going into Stockholm+50 still contained get out of jail free cards for the fossil fuel industry, referring to ‘innovative technologies’ and ‘unabated coal’ which can be shields for reliance on unproven carbon capture and storage or dangerous geoengineering. 

It is imperative that governments take on board this recommendation from Stockholm+50 and join together to negotiate a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to ensure a fast and equitable phase out of fossil fuels in line with 1.5C, and finance for a global just transition.

Harjeet Singh, Global Engagement Director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said: "Fossil fuel industry is using the imperative to address energy access and energy poverty as an excuse for expansion of oil, gas and coal. This industry has had 200 years to bring energy access to people and yet today we have 2.4 billion people living in energy poverty. If more fossil fuels were the solution, it would have worked by now. These companies do not want to bring energy to people, they want to bring profits to themselves.”

Gadir Lavadenz, Global Coordinator of the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice, said: In 50 years, the international environmental agenda has grown incredibly complex but is also still incapable of tackling the root causes of our global environmental crisis. Manipulated by big polluters and ally governments, the multilateral environmental spaces have been derailed and obstructed by creating dangerous distractions disguised as solutions. The small percentage of the world that consumes 80% percent of our resources must be held accountable and that obviously includes the fossil fuel industry.”

Farzana Faruk Jhumu, Associate Coordinator at 350.org Bangladesh, said: “Phasing out fossil fuels is a need known to not just the youth and other grassroot movements but even fossil fuel industry and government agencies. Lies are being spread, but we, as youth, do not believe it because the science is clear and we want climate justice with a clear roadmap and gameplan as suggested by the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. That is why so many of us joined the treaty campaign in Stockholm.”

In this critical lead-up to COP27, heads of state must work together to create new international cooperation to stop the expansion of coal, oil and gas production and deliver on the ambition set out at Stockholm+50. This is a clear call already recognized by science and demanded by people-powered movements across the globe. 

This final text follows the publication of a joint letter from more than 50 Right Livelihood Laureates - such as Greta Thunberg, Nnimmo Bassey, Siila Watt-Cloutier,Vandana Shiva, Herman Daly David Suzuki and Amory Lovins - noting that it’s “time to end the excuses for inaction and minimal stop-gap measures, and to instead make the real changes required”, including the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. A motion was also introduced this week by the Swedish Social Democrats to the Stockholm city council board to endorse the fossil fuel treaty. Stockholm would then join more than 50 cities worldwide that have already done so across countries like the United States, Costa Rica, France and Nepal.

The campaign for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty was inspired by treaties that addressed the threats of nuclear weapons, landmines and other dangerous substances. Over the past year the campaign has been supported by 101 Nobel Laureates, 2,600 academics, 231 parliamentarians, hundreds of prominent youth leaders, a growing group of faith leaders and more than 1,300 civil society organisations.

Media contacts:

Jemma De Leon
Communications Strategist, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (USA)
jemma@fossilfueltreaty.org +1 909 536 9714

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