FUELLING FAILURE

The report 'Fuelling Failure' details how the fossil fuel industry sabotages the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through climate change, direct pollution, and corporate misconduct. It highlights severe impacts including 8.7 million premature deaths annually from air pollution, the destruction of marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and the exacerbation of global poverty and inequality. The authors argue that the 1.5°C target is impossible without a coordinated global phase-out of coal, oil, and gas, proposing a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to manage non-proliferation, equitable phase-down, and a just transition for affected workers and nations.

• Fossil fuel combustion is the primary driver of global warming, with 86 percent of global CO2 emissions caused by fossil fuel consumption over the last decade.
• Air pollution from fossil fuels caused an estimated 8.7 million premature deaths annually between 2012 and 2018.
• Current global production levels are inconsistent with the 1.5°C target; governments are projected to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels by 2030 than is required to limit warming to 1.5°C, specifically 240% more coal, 57% more oil, and 71% more gas.
• Fossil fuel extraction and infrastructure cause significant biodiversity loss, including habitat fragmentation from seismic surveys and massive wildlife deaths from oil spills, such as the Exxon Valdez spill which killed 250,000 seabirds and 2,800 sea otters.
• Ocean acidification, driven by the absorption of carbon emissions from fossil fuels, has increased the acidity of surface waters by 30%, threatening coral reefs; at 2°C of warming, 99% of tropical coral reefs face elimination.
• Fossil fuels undermine food security through climate-induced droughts and the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, which release potent N2O emissions and can contaminate groundwater.
• The fossil fuel industry contributes to global poverty and inequality; governments spend three times more on fuel subsidies than the annual amount needed to eradicate poverty.
• Fossil fuel infrastructure disproportionately harms marginalized communities, such as the 'Cancer Alley' region in Louisiana where cancer rates are nearly 50 times the national average.
• Fossil fuel companies engage in extensive tax avoidance and lobbying; for example, 62 companies paid zero tax in Australia during 2019-2020 despite revenues of $81.4 billion.
• The report identifies 425 'Carbon Bombs'—fossil fuel mega projects each containing over one gigatonne of potential CO2 emissions—that must be defused to meet climate goals.
• A transition to a green economy is estimated to generate a net gain of approximately 18 million jobs globally.
• Fossil fuel revenues are linked to increased conflict and autocracy, exemplified by Russia's use of energy export revenues to fund the invasion of Ukraine, with expected earnings of $321 billion by the end of 2022.

APA

Daley, F., & Lawrie, C. (n.d.). FUELLING FAILURE. Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/s/Fuelling-Failure-Report.pdf

Chicago

Daley, Freddie, and Charlie Lawrie. FUELLING FAILURE. Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, n.d. https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/s/Fuelling-Failure-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Daley |first1=Freddie |last2=Lawrie |first2=Charlie |title=FUELLING FAILURE |publisher=Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative |url=https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/s/Fuelling-Failure-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{daleyndfuelling, author = {Daley, Freddie and Lawrie, Charlie}, title = {{FUELLING FAILURE}}, institution = {Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative}, url = {https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/s/Fuelling-Failure-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }