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A new SEI study explores how countries address fossil fuel production in their Paris Agreement climate plans.
While more countries are discussing their fossil fuel production plans in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), nearly half of countries who have submitted their latest round of NDCs plan to continue or even increase their fossil fuel extraction.
SEI Affiliated Researcher Natalie Jones – and lead author of SEI’s new report – wrote about the findings in Carbon Brief.
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While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says fossil fuel production and use must be “greatly reduced” to meet the Paris Agreement’s aspiration to limit global warming to 1.5°C, more countries plan to continue or boost fossil fuel extraction than phase it down.
Natalie Jones in Carbon Brief highlights SEI’s new inventory of climate plans worldwide, which reveals countries are paying increasing attention over time to fossil fuel production and just transitions away from fossil fuels, despite implicit or explicit intentions to continue production.
The report also indicates that developing countries that are economically dependent on fossil fuel extraction have used their climate plans to call for international support through finance or technology to help them leave their fossil fuel reserves in the ground.
The next round of NDCs are due in 2025. Then, governments will have the opportunity to reexamine their fossil fuel production plans and share their plans for just transitions away from the fossil-based economy among workers and communities.
SEI’s report was also cited in a column at Bloomberg: Global Heat Records Are Falling. A Little Panic Might Be in Order.
SEI report / Amid growing momentum to link fossil fuel production and climate goals, transparency on countries’ alignment with Paris goals is crucial to assessing progress.
Natalie Jones
Initiative / The Carbon Lock-In Initiative seeks to uncover and address the barriers that uphold the fossil fuel-based economy.
Perspective / Countries need to pair their emission reduction commitments with clear and transparent plans to wind down fossil fuel production.
Feature / The 2021 Production Gap Report shows governments' fossil fuel production plans remain dangerously out of sync with the Paris Agreement’s temperature limits.
SEI working paper / This analysis finds that a growing number of countries are addressing fossil fuels as part of their climate mitigation activities.
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