Fossil fuels are the primary cause of our climate system spiralling out of control, releasing significant quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) throughout their lifecycle, from extraction at coal mines and oil and gas wells to combustion in our homes, industries and vehicles.
The problem
Today, fossil fuels supply about 80 per cent of the world’s energy and rapid reductions are required to keep global heating within safe limits. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that “the level of greenhouse gas emission reductions this decade largely determine whether warming can be limited to 1.5°C or 2°C”, further noting that “CO2 emissions from existing fossil fuel infrastructure without additional abatement would exceed the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C.”
Despite this, it was not until COP28 in 2023 that Parties to the UNFCCC finally called for “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.” Yet governments around the world are planning to produce more than twice the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C – and almost three times in 2040.
To safeguard our climate system, the countries of the world must come together to end the expansion of new fossil fuel production and phase out existing fossil fuel production and use, — coupled with a rapid rollout of renewable energy.
