Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground: A Declaration for the Health of Mother Earth - Center for International Environmental Law

The document is a declaration calling for the end of fossil fuel exploration and extraction to address the climate crisis and mass extinction. It demands a just transition to a democratized, 100% renewable energy system, the removal of fossil fuel industry influence from policymaking, and the recognition of the rights of Indigenous and frontline communities.

• The extraction, transportation, and consumption of fossil fuels are identified as primary drivers of the climate crisis and mass extinction, with the resulting harms falling disproportionately on those who did not profit from the systems causing them.
• To prevent the worsening of the climate crisis, the declaration asserts that the majority of global fossil fuel reserves must remain unextracted.
• The signatories demand an immediate end to all public funding and subsidies for fossil fuel infrastructure, exploration, and extraction, calling for these resources to be redirected toward a just transition to clean energy.
• The document calls for the total removal of the fossil fuel industry from international and domestic policymaking, specifically stating that industry representatives should be barred from international climate negotiations.
• The declaration advocates for a transition to an energy system that is decentralized, democratized, and powered 100% by sustainable and renewable energy sources.
• The text demands the recognition of the rights of nature and the specific rights of Indigenous peoples to provide free, prior and informed consent, including the right to refuse extractive projects on traditional lands.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2015). Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground: A Declaration for the Health of Mother Earth - Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/news/fossilfuels_4dec2015/

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground: A Declaration for the Health of Mother Earth - Center for International Environmental Law. 2015. https://www.ciel.org/news/fossilfuels_4dec2015/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground: A Declaration for the Health of Mother Earth - Center for International Environmental Law |date=4 December 2015 |url=https://www.ciel.org/news/fossilfuels_4dec2015/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2015keep, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground: A Declaration for the Health of Mother Earth - Center for International Environmental Law}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2015}, month = dec, url = {https://www.ciel.org/news/fossilfuels_4dec2015/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }