An international coalition of over 1,400 governmental and conservation organizations has urged its members to intensify efforts to reduce fossil fuel extraction and advocate for a global fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) adopted Motion 42 on Thursday, labeling fossil fuel production a threat to nature and urging member groups to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels.
In a news release, the IUCN described the resolution as “the strongest language ever adopted in a multilateral forum on the supply of oil, gas, and coal.”
“Today is a historic moment for global conservation,” said Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s minister for climate change adaptation, in the release. “The IUCN has recognized what science has stated for decades: we cannot protect nature while expanding fossil fuels.”
The resolution emphasizes the harmful effects of fossil fuel extraction on climate change, biodiversity, and human rights, urging member states to support the Paris climate agreements and other international accords while transitioning away from fossil fuels and ending new projects.
Focusing on fossil fuel extraction’s supply side, the document notes that most international agreements target consumption and emissions, stating “there is a legal gap in the governance of extraction and supply.”
Regenvanu referenced the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion that governments are legally required to address climate change, calling the IUCN resolution “long-overdue leadership.”
“The Pacific has long advocated for an equitable phase-out of coal, oil, and gas,” Regenvanu said. “Now the conservation movement joins us.”
The resolution urges the IUCN’s World Commission on Environmental Law to examine governance gaps in international frameworks related to fossil fuel supply and just transitions, and encourages member groups to “accelerate just transition pathways” in developing countries.
The IUCN comprises organizations in 160 countries, including government conservation agencies and environmental groups like The National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy.
“After 30 years of climate talks, we need additional tools to push countries to transition off fossil fuels,” said Ben Goloff, a senior climate campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This is essential as the United States, the world’s largest oil and gas producer, steps back from climate diplomacy.”
“It’s promising to see the IUCN expanding the toolkit and urging members to move away from fossil fuels,” Goloff added. The IUCN Members Assembly adopted the motion at its World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, UAE, attended by over 10,000 people from 189 countries.
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org