Learning from the Past and Innovating into the Future Principles for a Fossil Fuel Treaty

The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative proposes a framework for a global treaty to end the expansion of oil, gas, and coal. Based on 20 global consultations, the document argues that the treaty must be built on three core values—justice, rights, and public goods—to avoid replicating colonial and corporate domination. It emphasizes a 'bottom up' approach to ensure the participation of marginalized groups and Indigenous Peoples from the outset. The proposed framework rests on three pillars: a just transition for workers and communities, the non-proliferation of new fossil fuel exploration, and a fair phase-out of existing production aligned with the 1.5C goal.

• The proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty is structured around three primary pillars: preventing the expansion of coal, oil, and gas by ending new exploration and production (non-proliferation); equitably phasing out existing production to meet the 1.5C goal (fair phase out); and accelerating access to renewable energy to ensure no worker, community, or country is left behind (just transition).
• The treaty's foundational values are justice, rights, and public goods. Justice requires that wealthy fossil fuel producing countries bear the most responsibility for cutting emissions and that fossil fuel companies restore extraction areas. Rights include the right to life, health, nature, and intersectional justice, specifically highlighting gender rights due to the disproportionate impact of climate change and extraction on women and girls. Public good focuses on prioritizing community energy needs over private interests, ensuring transparency, and addressing macroeconomic inequalities within the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
• To avoid the failures of previous top-down approaches, the initiative emphasizes a bottom-up, multi-stakeholder process. This includes the early involvement of Indigenous Peoples to ensure recognition of self-determination, inherent sovereignty, and free, prior, and informed consent.
• The document identifies risks to the treaty process, including the potential for corporate and government actors to dilute negotiations or promote 'false solutions' such as carbon capture and storage. It suggests mitigating these risks by excluding fossil fuel interests from negotiations and including civil society.

APA

Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative (2024). Learning from the Past and Innovating into the Future Principles for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/blog/principles

Chicago

Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. Learning from the Past and Innovating into the Future Principles for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. 2024. https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/blog/principles.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative |title=Learning from the Past and Innovating into the Future Principles for a Fossil Fuel Treaty |date=26 May 2024 |url=https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/blog/principles |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{fossilfuelnonproliferationtreatyinitiative2024learning, author = {{Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative}}, title = {{Learning from the Past and Innovating into the Future Principles for a Fossil Fuel Treaty}}, publisher = {Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/blog/principles}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }