We need a global exit plan from fossil fuels to secure a liveable future before it’s too late. Here’s how
Izzie McIntosh climate campaign manager at Global Justice Now
OPINION
News about fossil fuels and the climate crisis is escalating by the week. Sometimes, it’s on the front page; far too often it’s hiding somewhere in the small print. But wherever the stories are printed, the message remains the same: our window to prevent runaway climate change and secure a liveable future for people around the world is rapidly closing.
Fossil fuels are driving the climate crisis. We must transition from coal, oil and gas to save lives today and in the future. We must do this in a way that protects the most vulnerable in our society. And, if we’re smart, we’ll create a better, more equal world in the process.
This is where a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (we’ll call it a Fossil Fuel Treaty for short) comes in. The Fossil Fuel Treaty is a proposal for a global exit plan from fossil fuels that’s gaining ground around the world. It would see countries work together to find a roadmap for a fast, fair and properly funded transition away from fossil fuels for good.
Our ambitions must not end at merely mitigating away the damage fossil fuels cause, if that were even possible. Rather, we need to stop them at their root – and we must do so in a just way for workers, communities and our planet. That’s why a managed global exit plan is so important. Global treaties have a history of managing major threats and upholding global justice and human rights. The Refugee Convention, for example, recently helped to stop people seeking asylum in the UK from being forcibly removed to Rwanda. A Fossil Fuel Treaty could also see leaders cooperate to stop the global harms currently caused by fossil fuels and uphold the rights and wellbeing of people around the world.
The Fo
