End the Fossil Fuel Era & Move Towards a Clean Energy World

14 July 2023

We are resolute in our commitment to hold fast to the 1.5°C temperature limit. We cannot accept an overshoot of this target and the devastating consequences that would result.

We must bring greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 or earlier, and chart a course at COP-28 to an urgent and just transition to renewables, a more climate resilient world, and climate justice for all.

We must accelerate the global energy transition away from fossil fuels. We must peak greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 at the latest and reduce them by 43% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. This requires systemic transformations across all sectors, driven by an urgent phase out from fossil fuels, starting with a rapid decline of fossil fuel production and use within this decade. Abatement technologies[1] must not be used to green-light continued fossil fuel expansion, but must be considered in the context of steps to phase out fossil fuel use, and should be recognised as having a minimal role to play in decarbonization of the energy sector. The restoration and protection of carbon sinks should be a top priority. We must set and meet ambitious targets for renewable energy production and energy efficiency around the world within this decade, while ensuring that this transition is equitable, and does not leave behind the millions without energy access worldwide.

We need a global just energy transition captured in more ambitious mitigation pledges in line with 1.5°C. This would involve the massive deployment of financing to deliver energy access for all globally, new renewable energy targets to more than triple current rates of deployment to the over 1 terawatt of new solar and wind per annum that the IEA’s analysis shows is needed for 1.5°C, and that would enable us to more than double the share of renewable energy globally in electricity generation by 2030, greater energy efficiency and savings, an acceleration of our efforts to cut methane emissions, and an elimination or repurposing of fossil fuel subsidies to support the roll-out of renewables. Similar levels of ambition and detail are needed across other economic sectors, as well as in adaptation, loss and damage, and climate finance.

Creating a world that is resilient in the face of the climate crisis will require drastic adaptation efforts worldwide. Adaptation finance will be a key part of this, and we must deliver on the call for developed country parties to at least double adaptation finance, and conclude discussions at COP28 on a framework to ensure the ambitious implementation of the Global Goal on Adaptation. 

Loss and damage caused by the climate crisis is getting worse every day, and it will continue to worsen at a faster pace as tipping points are reached. We support the operationalization of loss and damage funding arrangements, and a fund for responding to loss and damage, and commit to working together to alleviate the burdens faced by developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

Achieving ambitious results on climate ambition must be backed up by strong results and commitments on climate finance. We stress the importance of achieving the $100 billion per year goal, scaling up the deployment of innovative financing strategies and mechanisms, agreeing on a new collective quantified goal, which has to be based on the best available science and take into account needs and priorities of developing countries. We must secure financial system reforms to increase green investment, and the alignment of financial flows with a resilient future within the 1.5°C temperature limit. 

We are committed to working with the incoming COP Presidency and all stakeholders to deliver an ambitious COP28. The Global Stocktake must be a turning point. It must include a strong and detailed forward-looking delivery plan, with concrete recommendations that trigger countries’ domestic processes in following up with ambitious and robust action to close the ambition and implementation gaps across the spectrum of climate action in this critical decade and beyond.

The science is clear, and we know that the solutions are there. We invite others to join us in this effort.

H.E. Leonore Gewessler, Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, Austria

H.E. Maria Heloisa Rojas Corradi, Environment Minister, Chile

H.E. Susana Muhamad, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia

H.E. Dan Jørgensen, Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Denmark

H.E. Sandokan Debebe, State Minister, FDRE Ministry of Planning and Development, Ethiopia

H.E. Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans, European Commission

H.E. Ms. Cynthia Ehmes, Acting Secretary of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Emergency Management (DECEM), Federated States of Micronesia

H.E. Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for the Energy Transition, France

H.E. Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action in the Federal Foreign Office of Germany

H.E. Eamon Ryan, Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Ireland

H.E. Rob Jetten, Minister Climate and Energy Policy, the Netherlands

H.E. James Shaw, Minister of Climate Change, New Zealand

H.E. Steven Victor, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Environment, Palau

H.E. John Silk, Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce, Republic of the Marshall Islands

H.E. Toeolesulusulu Cedric P S Schuster, Minister for Natural Resources and Environment and Samoa Tourism Authority, Samoa

H.E. Mr Alioune Ndoye, Ministre de l'Environnement, du Développement Durable et de la Transition Écologique, Senegal

H.E. Teresa Ribera, Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Spain

H.E. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Environment, Energy & National Disaster Management Office of the Republic of Vanuatu

[1] Using the IPCC definition of interventions that substantially reduce the amount of GHG emitted throughout the lifecycle; for example, capturing 90% or more CO2 from power plants, or 50-80% of fugitive methane emissions from energy supply.  

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Contact: hac@highambitioncoalition.org