The Legal Foundations for Fossil Fuel Phaseout: An Open Letter to the Co-Hosts and Participants of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels Santa Marta, Colombia

The document presents a collection of statements from legal experts and policy advisors asserting that international law, supported by rulings from bodies such as the International Court of Justice, requires states to phase out fossil fuels to prevent climate harm and protect human rights.

• Legal experts assert that phasing out fossil fuels is a mandatory legal obligation under international law, not merely a scientific necessity or a political choice.
• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has established that states have a legal duty to combat dangerous climate change through international cooperation and the prevention of significant harm, regardless of whether they are party to specific climate treaties.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). The Legal Foundations for Fossil Fuel Phaseout: An Open Letter to the Co-Hosts and Participants of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels Santa Marta, Colombia. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/fossil_fuel_phaseout_legal_letter_santa_marta_QUOTES.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. The Legal Foundations for Fossil Fuel Phaseout: An Open Letter to the Co-Hosts and Participants of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels Santa Marta, Colombia. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/fossil_fuel_phaseout_legal_letter_santa_marta_QUOTES.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=The Legal Foundations for Fossil Fuel Phaseout: An Open Letter to the Co-Hosts and Participants of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels Santa Marta, Colombia |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/fossil_fuel_phaseout_legal_letter_santa_marta_QUOTES.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndlegal, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{The Legal Foundations for Fossil Fuel Phaseout: An Open Letter to the Co-Hosts and Participants of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels Santa Marta, Colombia}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/fossil_fuel_phaseout_legal_letter_santa_marta_QUOTES.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }