Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative

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The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative is a global campaign started in September 2020 to stop new fossil fuel exploration and expansion and to phase out existing production in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. It also aims to ensure a just transition to renewable energy. The effort is led by chair Tzeporah Berman, with a wide steering committee of activists, researchers, and organizations from around the world, and is hosted at fossilfueltreaty.org.

What the treaty would do
- Create a standalone international agreement to prevent the expansion of fossil fuels and to manage a fair, rapid phase-out.
- Put the interests of people and workers at the center of the transition to clean energy.
- Establish a Global Registry of Fossil Fuels to increase transparency and accountability for production and reserves.

A brief history
- The idea goes back to Pacific Island leaders who, in 2015 and 2016, urged a moratorium on new fossil fuel development as a step toward limiting warming to 1.5°C.
- The Lofoten Declaration of 2017 called for a managed decline of fossil fuel production and a just transition to a low-carbon economy.
- The concept of a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty gained public momentum in 2018–2020, leading to the formal launch during Climate Week NYC in September 2020.
- In 2021, a letter signed by 100 Nobel laureates and other prominent figures urged leaders to phase out fossil fuels, highlighting the need to align with the 1.5°C goal and noting that the Paris Agreement does not specifically address oil, gas, or coal.
- Also in 2021, a partnership between Carbon Tracker and Global Energy Monitor announced the Global Registry of Fossil Fuels to track and disclose emissions and reserves.
- Activists and governments continued to push for action at international meetings. By 2022, some Pacific nations endorsed the idea, and by 2023–2024, more countries and many cities and subnational governments joined or endorsed the effort.

Support and endorsements
- By early 2022, the initiative claimed support from hundreds of scientists, academics, and thousands of civil society groups, with notable backing from the World Health Organization and later the European Parliament.
- In 2022, Vanuatu and Tuvalu were the first countries to endorse the treaty concept; more Pacific nations and others joined in 2023–2024, including Palau, Colombia, Samoa, Pakistan, and The Bahamas.
- More than 100 cities and subnational governments have endorsed or signed on to the Mayors Declaration or related pledges.
- The movement has also drawn support from religious and academic leaders, including endorsements from Vatican figures and a large body of Nobel laureates and researchers. By 2023–2024, the initiative continued to expand its global network of supporters.

Current status
- The initiative continues to push for an international agreement to halt new fossil fuel projects, manage a just and rapid phase-out, and support a transition to renewable energy.
- As of early 2025, about 15 governments have joined the effort, alongside a growing network of cities, subnational bodies, and civil society groups committed to the goal.