SMOKE AND MIRRORS: THE TERMS “UNABATED” FOSSIL FUELS AND “INEFFICIENT” SUBSIDIES ARE A TACTIC TO DELAY A JUST TRANSITION FROM COAL, OIL AND GAS

The document contends that qualifiers such as "unabated" and "inefficient" in climate policies allow the fossil fuel industry to maintain production and profits despite the 1.5C goal. It asserts that there is no globally agreed definition for "unabated" fossil fuels and that carbon capture and storage (CCS) remains unproven at scale. Similarly, the term "inefficient" regarding subsidies is viewed as vague, contributing to a surge in fossil fuel subsidies to over 7 trillion USD in 2022. The briefing calls for unambiguous language focusing on the absolute decline of both production and emissions to align with the Paris Agreement.

• Current global production plans for fossil fuels significantly exceed the levels compatible with a 1.5C warming limit, with projections indicating 240% more coal, 71% more gas, and 57% more oil than the threshold allows.
• The term "unabated" is described as a non-scientific loophole lacking a global definition, which allows countries like the US, UK, Canada, and Australia to support phase-out text while simultaneously approving new fossil fuel projects.
• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is characterized as unproven at scale and failing to meet expectations, according to the IEA's Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario.
• The use of the term "inefficient" to describe fossil fuel subsidies is criticized for its vagueness, which has coincided with subsidies surging past 7 trillion USD in 2022 and more than doubling since 2020.
• Focusing solely on phasing out fossil fuel "demand", "energy", or "emissions" is viewed as a tactic to ignore the need to phase out production, as seen in the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting where text was amended to focus on energy systems rather than production.

APA

Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative (2023). SMOKE AND MIRRORS: THE TERMS “UNABATED” FOSSIL FUELS AND “INEFFICIENT” SUBSIDIES ARE A TACTIC TO DELAY A JUST TRANSITION FROM COAL, OIL AND GAS. https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/s/Smoke-and-Mirrors.pdf

Chicago

Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. SMOKE AND MIRRORS: THE TERMS “UNABATED” FOSSIL FUELS AND “INEFFICIENT” SUBSIDIES ARE A TACTIC TO DELAY A JUST TRANSITION FROM COAL, OIL AND GAS. 2023. https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/s/Smoke-and-Mirrors.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative |title=SMOKE AND MIRRORS: THE TERMS “UNABATED” FOSSIL FUELS AND “INEFFICIENT” SUBSIDIES ARE A TACTIC TO DELAY A JUST TRANSITION FROM COAL, OIL AND GAS |date=November 2023 |url=https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/s/Smoke-and-Mirrors.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fossilfuelnonproliferationtreatyinitiative2023smoke, author = {{Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative}}, title = {{SMOKE AND MIRRORS: THE TERMS “UNABATED” FOSSIL FUELS AND “INEFFICIENT” SUBSIDIES ARE A TACTIC TO DELAY A JUST TRANSITION FROM COAL, OIL AND GAS}}, institution = {Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/s/Smoke-and-Mirrors.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }