As the United Nations prepares for its Summit of the Future in September, a significant controversy has emerged over the exclusion of critical language related to fossil fuels in the draft of the “Pact for the Future.” A group of 77 former world leaders, Nobel laureates, and scientists have publicly expressed their alarm, urging the UN to reinstate commitments to transitioning away from coal, oil, and gas.
The original draft of the pact, released in January, included language that called for an accelerated transition away from fossil fuels, aligning with the commitments made at last year’s COP28 climate summit. However, recent negotiations have stripped these references, sparking widespread concern among environmental advocates and global leaders.
In a letter supported by the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, the 77 signatories voiced their “grave concern” over the omission. They emphasized the urgent need for a robust global response to the climate crisis, stating, “If the Summit of the Future does not address the threat of fossil fuels, it will not be worthy of its name, risking undermining a once-in-a-century opportunity to restore trust in the power of international cooperation.”
Stefan Löfven, former Prime Minister of Sweden, was particularly critical of the decision to remove fossil fuel language from the draft. “The omission of fossil fuels from the draft Pact for the Future is another stark failure to confront one of the greatest threats to our planet and humanity,” Löfven stated. “World leaders should be unequivocal when it comes to acting decisively and collectively to prevent further climate impacts, and instead, they are deciding to bury their heads in the sand.”
This call to action is not limited to environmentalists alone. Jody Williams, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist, underscored the existential stakes. “Unless fossil fuels are tackled, there is no future to safeguard,” Williams said, highlighting the necessity of addressing fossil fuel expansion if global leaders are to make meaningful progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Pact for the Future, which covers a wide range of issues including sustainable development, peace and security, and global governance, was initially seen as a promising framework for international cooperation. However, the removal of fossil fuel commitments has cast a shadow over the negotiations, with critics arguing that it signals a retreat from the aggressive climate action needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Sir Richard J. Roberts, a Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine, also criticized the current draft of the pact. “Not mentioning fossil fuels in the Pact for the Future will represent a further failure of the climate strategy of those in power, and of their moral responsibility to preserve Humanity,” Roberts said. He called for “genuine international cooperation and financial support to phase out oil, gas and coal,” warning that without such commitments, efforts to create a sustainable future would be undermined.
The letter from the 77 signatories was published by the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, a global campaign that seeks to establish an international agreement for the transparent management and phased elimination of fossil fuels. Despite broad support from numerous government entities and global organizations, only 13 countries have signed onto the initiative so far.
As the Summit of the Future approaches, the pressure is mounting on U.N. member states to reintegrate strong fossil fuel language into the Pact for the Future. The signatories of the letter hope that their collective voice will influence the final outcome of the negotiations, ensuring that the world does not lose a crucial opportunity to address the most pressing threat to humanity’s future.
“We are gravely concerned,” the letter concludes, “that without a clear commitment to phasing out fossil fuels, the Pact for the Future will fail to live up to its name and its promise.”
COMMENTS