An offshore oil rig appears with a flare and plume of black smoke.

Normalizing No New Fossil Fuels

Ending exploration for coal, oil, and gas is critical to stop climate change.

There is no room for new fossil fuel projects under a 1.5°C global warming limit—no new oil and gas fields, no new coal mines, and no new coal- and gas-fired power stations. 

Governments agreed at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCC COP 28) in the United Arab Emirates on the need to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. A critical, achievable first step is to stop issuing licences for coal, oil, and gas exploration. This must be coupled with a vision to diversify economies built on fossil fuel extraction, creating opportunities for affected workers and communities.

Based on our agenda-setting research, IISD is engaging with governments and the public to establish “no new fossil fuels” as a benchmark for climate leadership.

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