The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (FFNPT) initiative arises from the need to bring phase-out of fossil fuels into climate diplomacy. In fact, the Paris Agreement makes no reference to the term “fossil fuels”. TThe initiative seeks to directly incentivize and accelerate governmental actions to foster a just transition away from fossil fuels (FFNPT 2023). builds on the framework of previous international treaties, such as those addressing landmines, ozone-depleting substances, and nuclear weapons, as well as earlier international efforts led by frontline communities. For instance, the Suva Declaration on Climate Change (2015), spearheaded by leaders of Pacific Island nations, called for international dialogue to halt the development and expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure and to promptly transition to a global net-zero-emissions economy. Similarly, the Loften Declaration, issued by the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), underscores the urgency of curbing the expansion of the oil and gas industry in alignment with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

The role of the treaty is to implement an international diplomatic dialogue to define principles, safeguards and common rules to define binding actions and measures to a just and equity phase out from fossil fuels. These commitments are designed to ensure and finance a fair and just transition, firmly rooted in the values of climate justice and human rights (FFNPT 2023). The initiative stands on three main pillars, defining the essential basis for the long term success of the treaty (FFNPT 2021).
These pillars are:

  1. Just Transition: the final pillar and the aim of the treaty. Its durability and success depend from the first two. The use of technology to peaceful and just transition is essential to reach the 100% renewable and low-carbon energy system and to support the economies and societies of the countries, promoting alternative development pathways (FFNPT 2021, Foster et al. 2024)
  2. Non – Proliferation: obligations to end exploration and expansion into new reserves of fossil fuels. This pillar follow the international researches and reports presented previously, in particular the one of Welsby et al. of defining unburnable carbon areas to remain under the Paris Agreement. Possible supply-side measure to monitor and report the non – proliferation could be the use of GIS instruments as the satellite image to observe the dismantling of fossil fuel infrastructures and possible wrong actions. These type of reporting could be done by governments, international institutions or civil society organizations through a common sense of building trust (FFNTP 2021, Newell and Simms 2020);
  3. A fair phase-out: coordinate equitable phase out of fossil fuel production, and systematically decommission existing fossil fuel infrastructures through the implementation of supply-side fossil fuel regulations: set limits on extraction, dismiss subsidies, and unnecessary infrastructures. The aim of this pillar is to reduce demand by shifting on safer and more sustainable alternatives energy resources through the adoption of clear and proactive energy plan (FFNPT 2021, Newell and Simms 2020).

Today, there are 13 governments supporting the Fossil Fuel Treaty proposal. Additionally, over 120 cities, including London, Rome, Warsaw, Sydney, Belém, Buenos Aires, and Lima, have expressed their support, along with more than 3.800 civil society organizations and more than 998.000 individuals. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Parliament in their formal COP27 resolution, and 101 Nobel laureates are endorsing the proposal.