Equity Dimensions of Anti-Fossil Fuel Norms

The research examines the tension between the political utility of simple anti-fossil fuel norms and the risk of overlooking equity issues, particularly for the Global South. Based on 14 expert interviews, the authors argue that norms for phasing out fossil fuels must be paired with norms that address the development and energy needs of low-income countries and provide necessary international support to avoid unintended inequitable consequences.

• Anti-fossil fuel norms are effective for political mobilization and creating international momentum through simple messaging, but this simplicity often leads to the neglect of national and international equity issues and the distributional impacts of transitioning away from fossil fuels.
• To avoid adverse and inequitable effects, norms calling for the phase-out of fossil fuels must be integrated with norms that recognize the energy and development requirements of lower-income countries and the necessity of international support for their transition.
• Analysis of four key norms suggests they can significantly contribute to the rapid phase down of fossil fuels, yet they carry a risk of producing unintended inequitable consequences if distributional impacts are not addressed.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2022). Equity Dimensions of Anti-Fossil Fuel Norms. https://www.sei.org/publications/equity-dimensions-anti-fossil-fuel-norms/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Equity Dimensions of Anti-Fossil Fuel Norms. 2022. https://www.sei.org/publications/equity-dimensions-anti-fossil-fuel-norms/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Equity Dimensions of Anti-Fossil Fuel Norms |date=10 November 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/equity-dimensions-anti-fossil-fuel-norms/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2022equity, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Equity Dimensions of Anti-Fossil Fuel Norms}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/equity-dimensions-anti-fossil-fuel-norms/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }