For the first time in a multilateral system, the phase out of fossil fuels has been placed as a major agenda item to be discussed holistically, with a just transition heavily emphasized.
This happened during the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress over the past fortnight.
IUCN Members made history with the adoption of Motion 042, acclaimed as the first motion across the entire global multilateral system to explicitly address fossil fuel production as a threat to nature.
The motion calls on governments and civil society to confront one of the root causes of the combined climate and biodiversity crises through supply-side measures. It stands as one of the boldest moves, with strong language adopted in a multilateral forum on the supply of oil, gas, and coal.
According to Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards and Disaster Management of Vanuatu, this is a historic moment for global conservation.
He added that with IUCN’s recognition, it’s apparent what the science has been telling us for decades: “we cannot protect nature while expanding fossil fuels. Rather, we need a fast, fair, and funded transition away from them.”
This step taken by the conservation movement comes just weeks after the recent ICJ Advisory Opinion, emboldening the awareness that governments have a legal obligation to prevent climate harm.
Motion 042 not only acknowledges the urgent gap in the international governance of fossil fuel production but also encourages solutions like exploring a variety of instruments, including explicitly naming a potential Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, to phase out coal, oil, and gas, stop new extraction, and ensure a just transition for workers and communities.
Harjeet Singh, Strategic Advisor of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, commended the IUCN for finally naming the root cause of the climate and biodiversity crises: fossil fuels.
By endorsing the conversation around fossil fuels, the IUCN is reaffirming its role in conservation by calling for the protection of ecosystems at the source of extraction, stopping new fossil fuel expansion, and promoting real conservation measures.
“Through adopting motions that call for a serious analysis of the gaps in current international agreements, the IUCN has acknowledged what many governments still refuse to accept: that there is no existing global plan to phase out coal, oil, and gas,” added Harjeet.
This historic development comes in the wake of the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion, welcomed by IUCN Motion 141, which affirmed States’ obligations to prevent climate harm and protect the rights of present and future generations.
Fany Kuiru Castro, General Coordinator of Coordinadora de la Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica (COICA), shared that the vote is a recognition of the reality and plights of Indigenous Peoples.
Notably, members also adopted IUCN Motion 038, calling for the promotion of the implementation of the goals agreed upon under the Paris Agreement, including transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly, and equitable manner.
“With the recognition of fossil fuels as a threat to nature, IUCN is finally standing on the side of life. There is no conservation without Indigenous rights, and there is no climate justice without a full and fair phase-out of fossil fuels,” said Kuiru.
Focus is high as the adoption of this series of motions on addressing fossil fuel supply and the need for a global just transition comes less than a month before the COP30 climate negotiations commence in Belém, Brazil. Here, governments are to showcase climate actions for delivering a phase out of fossil fuels, align climate and biodiversity action, and secure finance for a global just transition.
Fernanda Carvalho, Head of Policy for Climate and Energy of WWF International, stressed in her remarks that: “Climate change and biodiversity loss are the biggest threats the planet faces and we will only be able to reverse them with bold, integrated and innovative strategies such as a potential Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
The momentum generated by Motion 042 and Motion 141, together with the ICJ advisory opinion and growing political support for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, raises the bar for action at COP30 and beyond.
Motion 042 was supported by the Government of Vanuatu and submitted to the IUCN by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), together with co-sponsoring civil society and Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, including BirdLife International, Coordinadora de la Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica (COICA), and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
This 2025 decision marks a pivotal shift: IUCN, as the first major multilateral body to do so, is now advocating for binding global frameworks to curb fossil fuel supply, not just demand-side reductions. It aligns with broader calls from the UN and IPCC, stressing that limiting warming to 1.5°C requires ending fossil fuel expansion immediately.
