Climate Leadership Requires a Managed Decline of Fossil Fuel Production
Global climate change is a crisis of unprecedented scale, and it will take unprecedented action to avoid the worst consequences of our dependence on oil, coal, and gas. Equally as critical as reducing demand and emissions is the need for immediate and ambitious action to stop exploration and expansion of fossil fuel projects and manage the decline of existing production in line with what is necessary to achieve the Paris climate goals.
Clean, safe, and renewable fuels are already redefining how we see energy and it is time for nations to fully embrace 21st century energy and phase out fossil fuels.
The Lofoten Declaration affirms that it is the urgent responsibility and moral obligation of wealthy fossil fuel producers to lead in putting an end to fossil fuel development and to manage the decline of existing production.
We stand in solidarity with, and offer our full support for, the growing wave of impacted communities around the world who are taking action to defend and protect their lives and livelihoods in the face of fossil fuel extraction and climate change. It is a priority to elevate these efforts. Frontline communities are the leaders we must look to as we all work together for a safer future.
A global transition to a low carbon future is already well underway. Continued expansion of oil, coal, and gas is only serving to hinder the inevitable transition while at the same time exacerbating conflicts, fuelling corruption, threatening biodiversity, clean water and air, and infringing on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable communities.
Energy access and demand are and must now be met fully through the clean energies of the 21st century. Assertions that new fossil fuels are needed for this transformation are not only inaccurate; they also undermine the speed and penetration of clean energy.
We recognize that a full transition away from fossil fuels will take decades, but also, that this shift is an opportunity more than a burden. We are in a deep hole with climate. We must begin by not digging ourselves any deeper.
Research shows that the carbon embedded in existing fossil fuel production will take us far beyond safe climate limits. Thus, not only are new exploration and new production incompatible with limiting global warming to well below 2ºC (and as close to 1.5ºC as possible), but many existing projects will need to be phased-out faster than their natural decline.
This task should be first addressed by countries, regions, and corporate actors who are best positioned in terms of wealth and capacity to undergo an ambitious just transition away from fossil fuel production. In particular, leadership must come from countries that are high-income, have benefitted from fossil fuel extraction, and that are historically responsible for significant emissions.
We call on these governments and companies to recognize that continued fossil fuel exploration and production without a managed decline and a just transition is irreconcilable with meaningful climate action. We also note that there are tremendous leadership opportunities for these countries to demonstrate that moving beyond oil, coal, and gas – both demand and production – is not only possible, but can be done while protecting workers, communities, and economies.
SIGNATORIES
ABCD Family – United States
Abibiman Foundation – Ghana
Above Ground – Canada
abracaMUNDI – France
Academics Stand Against Poverty – United States
ACT Alliance EU – Europe
Action Paysanne Contre la Faim – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Adaptation Strategies International – United States
African Coalition For Sustainable Energy and Access – Cameroon
Afrihealth Optonet Association – Nigeria
Aid Organization – Bangladesh
Alliance Sud – Switzerland
Alofa Tuvalu – France / Tuvalu
Alternative Information and Development Centre – South Africa
Alternative Technology Association – Australia
Amazon Watch – United States
Les Amis de la Terre (Friends of the Earth France) – France
Arab Youth Climate Muster – Lebanon
Architectopia AS – Norway
As You Sow – United States
Ashden – United Kingdom
The Ashden Trust – United Kingdom
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development – Asia-Pacific
Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development – Asia
Asociación Centaurea – Spain
Association Nigérienne des Scouts de l’Environnement – Niger
Association for Protection Nature and Environment of Kairouan – Tunisia
Association for Women’s Rights in Development – International
Athens County Fracking Action Network – United States
The Australia Institute – Australia
Australian Marine Conservation Society – Australia
Austrian Association of Scientists for the Environment – Forum Wissenschaft & Umwelt – Austria
Azure Circle, Inc. – Canada
BankTrack – International
The Bellona Foundation – Norway
Berks Gas Truth – United States
Bicitekas – Mexico
Biodiversity Conservation Center – Russia
Bioroot Energy, Inc. – United States
Bold Alliance – United States
Both ENDS – The Netherlands
BSF – Canada
Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschlands (Friends of the Earth Germany) – Germany
Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Sachsen (Friends of the Earth Saxony) – Germany
Business Council on Climate Change – United States
Campaign for a Just Energy Future – South Africa
Canadian Interfaith Fast for the Climate – Canada
Caravan of Non-violence – Côte d’Ivoire
Cascadia Rural Fuels – United States
Catholic Earthcare Australia – Australia
CatholicNetwork.us – United States
Centar za životnu sredinu (Friends of the Earth Bosnia & Herzegovina) – Bosnia & Herzegovina
Center for Biological Diversity – United States
Center for International Environmental Law – United States
Center for Justice, Governance, and Environmental Action – Kenya
Centre for Environmental Justice – Zambia
Centre for Environmental Rights – South Africa
Centre for Human Rights & Climate Change Research – Nigeria
Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Development – Kyrgyzstan
Centre for Alternative Technology – United Kingdom
Change Partnership – International
Changemaker – Norway
Chile Sustentable Foundation – Chile
Citizen Gas & Oil Advisory Lobby – United States
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Australia – Australia
Clarity Environment – Australia
Clean Air Action Group – Hungary
Cleanweb Ltd. – United Kingdom
Climate Action Darwin – Australia
Climate Action Hobart – Australia
Climate Action Moreland – Australia
Climate Action Network International – International
Climate and Health Alliance – Australia
Climate Change Coalition of Door County, Wisconsin – United States
Climate Change Network Nigeria – Nigeria
Climate Hawks Vote – United States
Climate Justice Alliance – United States
Climate Justice Programme – Australia
Climate Justice Project – United States
The Climate Mobilization, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter – United States
Climate Policy Program, Institute for Policy Studies – United States
CliMates – France
Climáximo – Portugal
Clintonville Energy Collaborative – United States
CoalSwarm – United States
Coffs Coast Climate Action Group – Australia
El Colegio de Morelos – Mexico
Coletivo Clima – Portugal
Collectif Causse Méjean – Gaz de Schiste NON! – France
Columbus Community Bill of Rights – United States
Community Action for Nature Conservation – Kenya
Confronting the Climate Crisis – United States
Conscire AB – Sweden
Conseil Régional des Organisations Non Gouvernementales de Développement – Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cool Planet – United States
Costa Rica Limpia – Costa Rica
Corporate Europe Observatory – Europe
Creative Roustabouts – United States Developpement sans Frontieres – Cameroon
Dare Music, Inc. – United States
DC Divest – United States
Debris Free Oceans – United States
DeCOALinize – Kenya
Den Haag Fossielvrij – The Netherlands
DH Environmental Consulting – South Africa
Diverse Voices and Action for Equality – Fiji
DivestInvest Individual – United States
Docs on the Spot – Australia
Downstream Knitting Nannas Against Greed & Fossil Fuels – Australia
DutchHive BVBA – Belgium
EACAD Centre – Nigeria
Earth Action, Inc. – United States
Earthlife Africa Johannesburg – South Africa
Earthsave Canada – Canada
EARTHwise Centre – Mauritius
Earthworks – United States
Easter Planet Environmental – Canada
Ecoaction – Ukraine
EcoActors – Nigeria
EcoEquity – United States
Ecological Society of the Philippines – Philippines
Ecologistas en Acción – Spain
Ecologistas en Acción Sierra Bermeja – Spain
ECOMUNIDADES, Red Ecologista de la Cuenca de México – Mexico
Econciencia – Mexico
EKOenergy – Finland
Elders Climate Action – United States
Elkton Reserve – United States
Empowered African Youths Foundation – Nigeria
ENERGIES 2050 – France
Energiewende ER(H)langen e.V. – Germany
EnviroNews Nigeria – Nigeria
Environics Trust – India
Environment Centre NT – Australia
Environmental Defence – Canada
Environmental Justice Foundation – United Kingdom
Environmental Rights Action (Friends of the Earth Nigeria) – Nigeria
European Climate Foundation – Europe
Fabricants de Futur – Spain
Faculty & Staff Divestment Network – United States
Far North Knitting Nannas Against Gas & Greed – Australia
Fastenopfer – Switzerland
Fiji Medical & Dental Secretariat – Fiji
Finance & Trade Watch – Austria
FOCSIV – Volontari nel Mondo – Italy
Food & Water Europe – Europe
Food & Water Watch – United States
Föräldravrålet – Sweden
Fossielvrij NL – The Netherlands
Fossielvrij Onderwijs – The Netherlands
Fossil Free Berlin – Germany
Fossil Free California – United States
Fossil Free South Africa – South Africa
Fossil Free Tompkins – United States
Foundation for Environment and Agriculture – Bulgaria
Frack Free Lancashire – United Kingdom
FracTracker Alliance – United States
Framtiden i våre hender – Norway
Franciscan Action Network – United States
Frederick Mulder Foundation – United Kingdom
FreshWater Accountability Project – United States
Friends For Environmental Justice – United States
Friends of the Century – Liberia
Friends of the Earth Australia – Australia
Friends of the Earth Canada – Canada
Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland – United Kingdom
Friends of the Earth Ghana – Ghana
Friends of the Earth Ireland – Ireland
Friends of the Earth Malaysia – Malaysia
Friends of the Earth Malta – Malta
Friends of the Earth Scotland – Scotland
Friends with Environment in Development – Uganda
Futerra – United Kingdom
Futurepump – United Kingdom
Gaz de schiste Non merci! Garrigue Vaunage – France
Generation Zero – New Zealand
George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication – United States
Geotourism Stewardship Council – Dominica
GLOBAL 2000 (Friends of the Earth Austria) – Austria
Global Call for Climate Action – International
Global Catholic Climate Movement – International
Global Climate and Health Alliance – International
Global Climate Finance Campaign – South Africa
Global Greengrants Fund – United States
Global Witness – International
Gloucester Knitting Nannas Against Gas & Greed – Australia
Graphics 360 – United States
Green Development Advocates – Cameroon
The Green Institute – Australia
Green Pages – Yemen
Greenpeace – International
Green Planet NGO – Russia
The Green Team – United States
groundWork (Friends of the Earth South Africa) – South Africa
Groupe d’Action et de Recherche en Environnement et Développement – Togo
Guernsey County Citizens Support on Drilling Issues – United States
Hands Off Schwedeneck – Germany
Hawaii Sustainable Lifestyle Network – United States
Health and Environment Alliance – Europe
Health of Mother Earth Foundation – Nigeria
Healthy Futures – Australia
HEDA Resource Centre – Nigeria
Heinrich Böll Foundation – Germany
Honor the Earth – United States
Hunter Knitting Nannas Against Greed & Fossil Fuels – Australia
Hydrobee SPC – United States
IBON International – Philippines
Iceland Nature Conservation Association – Iceland
IDF Line – Guinea
Idle No More SF Bay – United States
Impact Human – United States
Impact Projects – Belgium
Innoventi – Norway
Institute for Climate & Sustainable Cities – Philippines
Institute of Sustainable Development – Ukraine
Instituto Internacional de Derecho y Medio Ambiente – Spain
International Institute for Sustainable Development – International
InterSpiritual Centre of Vancouver Society – Canada
INTLawyers – Switzerland
Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement – Togo
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust – United Kingdom
Junxion Strategy – Canada
Justica Ambiental – Mozambique
Justice & Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ – United States
Keeton Corporation – United States
Knitting Nannas Against Gas & Greed – Australia
Knitting Nannas Against Gas – Western Downs – Australia
KUBE Bergen – Norway
Kulima – Mozambique
Landscape Studio and Tropical Nursery CC – South Africa
Las Vegas Climate Action – United States
Les Amis de la Terre Togo (Friends of the Earth Togo) – Togo
Leave It in the Ground Initiative – Germany
The Licking County Green Party – United States
Life Support International – Australia
Linear City Concepts – United States
Lismore & Casino Environment Centres – Australia
Lofoten International Art Festival – Norway
Lund University Fossil Free – Sweden
Market Forces – Australia
The Mark Leonard Trust – United Kingdom
Martella Art & Stories – United States
Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health – United States
Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands) – The Netherlands
Millennium Sunline Design – United States
Moment Norway AS – Norway
Mom Loves Taiwan Association – Taiwan
Mountain Lakes Preservation Alliance – United States
Movement Options – United States
NativesRule – Australia
Natur og Ungdom (Young Friends of the Earth Norway) – Norway
Natural Resources Alliance of Kenya – Kenya
Naturvernforbundet (Friends of the Earth Norway) – Norway
Neighborhood Tree Health – United States
Net Zero Foundation – United States
New Mexico Story Power – United States
NGO Ecoclub – Ukraine
North Country Veterans for Peace – United States
North Norwegian Art Centre – Norway
Northern Greenhouse – United Kingdom
Northern Rivers Guardians – Australia
The Norwegian Grandparents Climate Campaign – Norway
Norwegian Writer’s Climate Campaign – Norway
A Nossa Terra – Associação Ambiental Portugal – Portugal
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation – United States
NYU Divest – United States
Observatorio Petrolero Sur – Argentina
Offcut – New Zealand
Oil Change International – International
Oilwatch Ghana – Ghana
Operation Noah – United Kingdom
Oysi – Chile / United States
Pacific Conference of Churches – Fiji
Pacific Partnerships on Gender, Climate Change and Sustainable Development – Pacific Islands
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum – Pakistan
Pamela Aminou Photography – United Kingdom
Pan African Climate Justice Alliance – Africa
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice – Philippines
Pia i Havet – Norway
Planet Passion – United States
Plataforma Algarve Livre de Petróleo – Portugal
Plataforma Salvemos Cabana – Spain
Platform London – United Kingdom
PlugN Drive NZ – New Zealand
Poolden-Puckham Charitable Foundation – United Kingdom
Power Shift Network – United States
Progressive Democrats of America – United States
Prosperity For RI – United States
Rachel Carson Council – United States
Radical Independence Campaign East Kilbride – Scotland
Rainforest Action Network – United States
Rattray Foundation – Scotland
Reclaim Alberta – Canada
Réseau Associatif de Khnifiss – Morocco
Residents Action on Fylde Fracking – England
ReSource – The Netherlands
Rise Up – Papua New Guinea
Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand – New Zealand
Russian Social-Ecological Union (Friends of the Earth Russia) – Russia
Salvia – Energía, Derecho y Medio Ambiente – Spain
Sandbag – United Kingdom
Sano Sansar Initiative – Nepal
Save Lamu – Kenya
SeaLegacy – Denmark
SeaLegacy Society – Canada
Sedona Sunday Productions – United States
Seeds for the Sol – United States
Serve All Trust – United Kingdom
ShareAction – United Kingdom
Sierra Club – United States
Sierra Leone Consortium for Climate Change and Sustainable Development – Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone School Green Club – Sierra Leone
Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny Province of United States & Canada – United States
Slemdal Private Jordmortjeneste – Norway
SoCal 350 Climate Action – United States
Social Impact Initiative for Sustainable Growth and Development – Cameroon
Society for Conservation & Sustainability of Energy & Environment in Nigeria – Nigeria
Socio-Ecological Union International – Russia
Solar Workers Union #1 – United States
Soular Energy Holistic Health – Canada
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance – South Africa
South East Environmental Association – Canada
Southern Oregon Climate Action Now – United States
Spire Org – Norway
Stand.earth – Canada / United States
Steady State Manchester – United Kingdom
Stop Petróleo Vila do Bispo – Portugal
Students for a Just and Stable Future – United States
Sungenix Energy Solutions – United States
Sunrise Movement – United States
The Sunrise Project – Australia
Sunshine Coast Climate Action Now Queensland – Australia
Sustainable Population Australia – Australia
SustainUS – United States
Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment – Uganda
Sustain CreatiK – The Netherlands
Sustainable Energy & Economy Network – United States
Tedhelte – Niger
Tempus Analítica A.C. – Mexico
Third World Network – Malaysia
Tier 1 Communications – Philippines
TierrActiva – Colombia
Tom Stiansen AS – Norway
Tonga Leitis Association – Tonga
Tonita Abeyta Design – United States
TOO Uniprom – Kazakhstan
Transition Smiths Falls – Canada
Tyft – Australia
UK Nanas – United Kingdom
UK Youth Climate Coalition – United Kingdom
Unitarian Universalist Association – United States
Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth – United States
Upper Valley Affinity Group – United States
urgewald – Germany
U.S. Climate and Health Alliance – United States
Waco Friends of Peace & Climate – United States
Walkin’Sagres – Portugal
We Women Lanka – Sri Lanka
West Coast Environmental Law Association – Canada
The West Virginia Mountain Party – United States
Wild Seas – Norway
Wilderness Committee – Canada
The Wilderness Society – Australia
Tongu Youth Agenda for Development – Ghana
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Norway – Norway
Women Natural Resource Governance Institute – Uganda
WoMin (African Women Unite against Destructive Resource Extraction – South Africa
WWF-Norway – Norway
Yes to Life No to Mining Global Solidarity Network – International
Young Christian in Action for Development – Togo
Young Friends of the Earth Ireland – Ireland
Young Voices on Climate Change – United States
YUVA Association – Turkey
ZERO – Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável – Portugal
ZeroGrowthNow – United States
350 Climate Movement of Denmark – Denmark
350 DC – United States
350 Loudoun – United States
350 Montgomery County – United States
350 PDX – United States
350 Seattle – United States
350 Silicon Valley – United States
350 Tacoma – United States
350.org Australia – Australia
350.org – International
About the Declaration
The Lofoten Declaration was written in August 2017 at a gathering in the Lofoten Islands of Norway of academics, analysts, and activists, all of whom recognize that globally we have a window of opportunity to limit the expansion of the oil and gas industry, in order to achieve the Paris climate goals. We invite other organisations worldwide to join the call.
Why is it called the Lofoten Declaration? The oil industry is lobbying hard for the seas around Lofoten to be opened to oil drilling – which would be devastating to the climate, the local community, and to Lofoten’s natural beauty – but activists have successfully managed to block these plans for years. This strategy must be expanded around the world to oppose the oil and gas industry.
