At Synod in 2023 a resolution was carried around the endorsement of (the) Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

This is a bold idea for an international framework to phase out fossil fuels faster, fairly and forever. 

As a result of the Synod resolution, a number of letters were sent out to members of parliament, local authorities... and even to our own Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board (DDTB).

The resolution read: That this Synod:

1. Endorses the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative;

2. Calls on all the local bodies of the Diocese to endorse the Treaty Initiative, and asks that the Bishop write to them asking them to do so;

3. Calls on Parliamentarians and central Government to endorse the Treaty Initiative; and asks that the Bishop write to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Climate Change, and the Minister for Energy and Resources.

4. Commits to ensuring that the investments of the Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board are in accordance with the Treaty Initiative;

5. Asks that the Bishop write to the Anglican Pension board to raise the issue of signing up to the Treaty Initiative;

6. Commits to cooperation with other churches and community organisations to further these goals.

All of these letters were sent with positive responses from the DDTB and the Anglican Pensions Board (Anglican Financial Care), but with a notable lack of response from Parliament. However...

We are part of a larger movement with still more we can do.

While oil, gas and coal are responsible for 86% of CO2 emissions in the past decade, the Paris Agreement makes no mention of fossil fuels. This Treaty is a big, bold idea aimed at complementing the Paris Agreement and calling for unprecedented international cooperation. 

The concept of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is gaining significant traction around the world. It has been endorsed by more than 2000 civil society organisations, over 3,000 academics, 101 Nobel laureates, the World Health Organisation and hundreds of health professionals, a Vatican Cardinal and hundreds of religious institutions, a growing number of Indigenous organisations and youth activists, over 115 cities and 600+ MPsacross the world, the European Parliament, and a bloc of fourteen nations.

Based on the experience of similar global Treaties, we need to keep reinforcing the movement supporting the concept in order to increase the pressure on governments and transform the treaty concept into a genuine mechanism for a just transition.

Have a look at the video at the top of this page and share it with your networks.

You can also announce your own Faith Community endorsement to your networks and encourage other organisations to do the same using this amplification pack.