FUELLING FAILURE

The report 'Fuelling Failure' argues that fossil fuel dependence makes it impossible to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by driving climate change and causing widespread pollution. It details specific negative impacts across all 17 SDGs, including pushing 122 million more people into extreme poverty by 2030 and causing 8.7 million premature deaths annually from air pollution between 2012 and 2018. The authors propose a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to end new exploration, equitably phase down existing production, and accelerate a fair transition through financial and technological assistance, particularly from wealthy nations.

• Fossil fuel dependence is the primary driver of climate change, accounting for 86 percent of global CO2 emissions over the last decade, and is preventing the achievement of the SDGs by endangering human and natural systems.
• Fossil fuel air pollution has severe public health consequences, causing an estimated 8.7 million premature deaths annually between 2012 and 2018, and contributing to 2 million preterm births and 4 million new childhood asthma cases in 2018.
• The fossil fuel industry and associated subsidies undermine economic and social goals; global fossil fuel subsidies reached $5.9 trillion in 2020, which is three times the annual amount required to eradicate poverty.
• Current production levels are inconsistent with the 1.5°C global warming limit; approximately 40 percent of developed reserves must remain in the ground to maintain a 50 percent probability of staying below this threshold, yet governments are expected to produce more than twice the amount consistent with this limit by 2030.
• Fossil fuels negatively impact all 17 SDGs, including pushing 122 million more people into extreme poverty by 2030, contaminating water supplies, and causing ocean acidification and extreme heat stress that threatens marine life.
• The authors propose a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty as a binding international framework to complement the Paris Agreement, focusing on a worldwide moratorium on new extraction, an equitable phase-down of existing projects, and financial assistance for a just transition.

APA

Daley, F., & Lawrie, C. (n.d.). FUELLING FAILURE. Klimakultur. https://www.klimakultur.no/media/hoppeetz/fossil-fuels-and-the-sdgs.pdf

Chicago

Daley, Freddie, and Charlie Lawrie. FUELLING FAILURE. Klimakultur, n.d. https://www.klimakultur.no/media/hoppeetz/fossil-fuels-and-the-sdgs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Daley |first1=Freddie |last2=Lawrie |first2=Charlie |title=FUELLING FAILURE |publisher=Klimakultur |url=https://www.klimakultur.no/media/hoppeetz/fossil-fuels-and-the-sdgs.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{daleyndfuelling, author = {Daley, Freddie and Lawrie, Charlie}, title = {{FUELLING FAILURE}}, institution = {Klimakultur}, url = {https://www.klimakultur.no/media/hoppeetz/fossil-fuels-and-the-sdgs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }