History made: Fossil fuels declared a threat to nature

 

The world’s largest network of governments, Indigenous peoples, scientists, and environmental organisations just agreed to a motion calling on governments and institutions to “address the gap in the international governance of the fossil fuels supply… through a variety of international instruments, including a potential Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

 

I’m writing from Abu Dhabi, where something extraordinary just happened.

At the World Conservation Congress here – a global gathering of governments, Indigenous peoples, scientists, and environmental organisations under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – the world’s largest environmental body voted to officially recognise fossil fuel production as a direct threat to nature for the first time in history.

 

These Member countries and organisations adopted Motion 042, which explicitly “calls on States to continue to address the gap in the international governance of the fossil fuels supply… through a variety of international instruments, including a potential Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

 

This is not just another resolution. It is the strongest ever multilateral agreement on fossil fuels in history. The motion will initiate “an analysis and assessment of governance gaps in existing international frameworks related to fossil fuel supply” and “guidance to accelerate just transition pathways for fossil-fuel dependent developing States”, and calls explicitly on Amazonian States and Members to declare a ‘fossil fuel non-proliferation zone’ in the world’s largest biodiversity zone.

17 nation-states are participating in the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, but today 105 countries voted in favour of this historic motion. 

 

But momentum only matters if the world hears about it. Let’s turn this historic win into a global signal for action – can you help share this important milestone?