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By Christine Mbithi
The COP30 Presidency Backs the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels to Start Developing the Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Roadmap.
After widespread recognition of the need for a roadmap to manage a just transition away from oil, gas, and coal extraction, the COP30 Presidency announced today that it backs the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels as the space to start the development of the roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels. 22nd November 2025 – Belém, Brazil.
The UNFCCC’s consensus-based process, as well as the lack of a concrete proposal to create the framework for developing countries to phase out fossil fuels, hindered the adoption of a roadmap in the COP cover decision text.
Attention will now turn to Colombia, where the historic summit, to take place from April 28 to 29, 2026, in Santa Marta and to be co-hosted by the government of the Netherlands, will bring together the group of countries ready to advance a roadmap on fossil fuels based on increased international cooperation, including through the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty.
The stalemate shown in Brazil further strengthens the case for the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty, a complementary framework for a just transition aligned with the 1.5°C temperature goal. The proposed treaty would unlock what COP30 could not: equitable timelines for phase-out, financial frameworks to ensure a just transition for developing countries, and a non-proliferation mechanism to halt new fossil fuel expansion.
Kumi Naidoo, President of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, said, “We welcome the COP30 recognition of the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels as the needed and relevant space to start building a fossil fuel-free future based on equity. The UNFCCC rules of procedure are clearly broken. We cannot afford to wait another year for another weak political signal while communities burn and drown. That’s precisely why Colombia and the Netherlands launched a parallel conference next April for those willing to tackle these issues head-on and help meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, including by discussing pathways to a Fossil Fuel Treaty. The treaty proposal is the highest-ambition roadmap available, one that centers justice, equity, finance, and urgency. Any nation serious about upholding the 1.5°C limit and supporting a just transition away from fossil fuels should join this courageous group.”
Despite the omission of fossil fuels in the final text, governments agreed to develop a new Just Transition Mechanism, a significant step forward in operationalizing justice in the UNFCCC process. As the transition away from fossil fuels will require a whole-of-society transformation, the new mechanism helps underpin global climate governance through international cooperation, knowledge exchange, and technical support.
Amiera Sawas, Head of Policy and Research of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, and Co-Chair of the Civil Society Working Group on the Just Transition Work Programme:
“We welcome the fact that parties heard what communities, Indigenous peoples, women, and workers were calling for to bring justice into the heart of this process. Our collective efforts, including those of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Network, were integral to developing and campaigning for the proposal and its components. The Just Transition mechanism is a step in the right direction to help achieve equity and justice, which is what countries actually need to phase out fossil fuels. However, we cannot sugarcoat the reality: global emissions and fossil fuel infrastructure are heading in the wrong direction, and this COP has done little to stop them.”
The proposed treaty offers the opportunity to develop the most concrete, actionable, and financed roadmap toward a fossil-free future. The proposal is backed by growing international momentum, including a growing bloc of 18 nation-states, which Cambodia joined during COP30. Momentum has been bolstered by the International Court of Justice’s recent historic Advisory Opinion ruling that states have a legal obligation to protect the climate, that fossil fuel production, licensing, and subsidies can constitute an internationally wrongful act, and that international cooperation, including through the negotiation of treaties, is the very foundation of meaningful international efforts with respect to climate change.”
Ministers from other nations participating in the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative echoed this call:
Maina Talia, Minister of Climate Change of Tuvalu: “Tuvalu and other AOSIS nations came to COP30 demanding a survival roadmap away from fossil fuels. We leave with an outcome that doesn’t even mention the main threats to our survival. The Fossil Fuel Treaty process is where real cooperation will happen—where equity is at the center, where concrete action is negotiated, where those most impacted lead the way, and where those most responsible move first and fastest. The logic is very simple: when we talk about the treaty, we are talking about achieving the 1.5ºC climate goal. If we cannot achieve everything at COP, at least there is something we can do, which is that more countries can join the Treaty Initiative. We need everyone on board.”
Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change of Vanuatu:
“For small island states, weak and empty promises mean existential threats. The outcome lacks a clear roadmap to address fossil fuels, with the timelines, equity principles, and finance that we need to transition. A Fossil Fuel Treaty is our best hope for securing a concrete plan through a negotiated mechanism. We cannot afford to wait. We are trying to bring ambition back into this process. The International Court of Justice is clear that it’s a legal obligation. Initiatives such as the Fossil Fuel Treaty are key to limiting warming to 1.5ºC. What we need is for all the big emitters to work and join us. Multilateralism is the way to solve this. We have done it before, for nuclear weapons, landmines, and saving the ozone layer; there are precedents. We are here at COP30 to say, “Get off this pathway to hell and help us all.”
