Fossil Free Politics and Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe have launched the Civil Society Pledge for Fossil Free Politics, a collective call to end fossil fuel influence in policymaking.
For decades, the fossil fuel industry has worked to block effective climate action – denying climate science data, delaying progress towards clean energy and distorting democratic debate. Through massive lobbying efforts, greenwashing campaigns, promoting false solutions, and even suing countries and communities for acting on climate, fossil fuel companies have prioritised profits over people and the planet.
This influence is consistently undermining the EU’s ability to deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement and is delaying the just and urgent transition towards a 100% renewable energy system, needed for a safe and sustainable environment. To secure that future, we must draw a clear line: those responsible for the crisis -and who continue to benefit from it- must not shape its solutions. As we now enter the second week of COP30 in Belém, civil society is drawing a clear line: climate and energy policy for people, not polluters.
The Civil Society Pledge, signed by 97 civil society organisations is a commitment to:
- Protect policymaking from fossil fuel capture, ensuring climate policies are shaped by and for people’s needs, not polluters’ profits.
- Demand transparency from politicians on their interactions with the fossil fuel industry and their lobbyists.
- Raise public awareness of the privileged access to decision makers that fossil fuel lobbyists continue to benefit from, despite profiting from an industry that harms people and the planet.
- Make fossil free politics a fundamental part of our work by aligning our partnerships, event attendance, and public engagement with this goal.
Why is this important
While civil society organisations face smear campaigns, uncertain funding and access to policymakers, politicians continue to roll out the red carpet for the fossil fuel industry. The latest data show that during its 2019 – 2024 term of office, the Von der Leyen Commission held nearly 900 meetings with fossil fuel lobbyists – almost one every working day for four and a half years.
Ahead of COP30, over 225 organisations from around the world, including CAN Europe and Fossil Free Politics, signed a call for a COP free from polluters’ influence and with a strong accountability framework to protect against interference from vested interests and big polluters, urging the UNFCCC Presidency to stop inviting the world’s largest polluting industries.
Despite these calls, the problem remains. According to new research by the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition and Fossil Free Politics, 9 EU governments brought a total of 84 fossil fuel lobbyists to COP30, granting them access to the very process meant to deliver climate solutions. This contributed to the overall figure of 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists at COP30, one in every 25 participants -showing that the very same industries driving the climate crisis still hold power over the negotiations meant to solve it.
With this pledge, civil society sends a united message: fossil fuel interests must be excluded from decision-making to ensure fair, science-based climate policies that put people and the planet first!
Do you still want to sign? Contact nathan@fossilfreepolitics.org
The pledge was signed by:
A Sud
Act Church of Sweden
Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM)
AirClim
Altro Modo Flegreo
Amis de la Terre France / Friends of the Earth France
Anti-Jindal & Anti-POSCO Movement (JPPSS)
ASSOCIACIÓ CATALANA PER LA PAU
Associazione Bianca Guidetti Serra
Austrian Alliance for Climate Justice
Bond Beter Leefmilieu
Campagna Nazionale Per il Clima Fuori dal Fossile
CAN Europe
Canopea
CEE Bankwatch Network
Center for Climate Change
Center for ecology and energy
Center for Environment
Center for environmental research and information Eko-svest Skopje
Centre for Citizens Conserving Environment & Management (CECIC)
Christian Aid Ireland
CIDSE
Clean Air Action Group
Climate Alliance Switzerland / Alliance Climatique Suisse / Klima-Allianz Schweiz
Co-ordination Office of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference for International Development and Mission (KOO)
COBAS Brindisi
Comitato Ulivivo
Coordinamento Nazionale No Triv
Coordinamento Ravennate Fuori dal Fossile
Cordaid
Debt Observatory in Globalisation (ODG)
Deutsche Umwelthilfe
eco-union
ECODES
Ecological Association EKO-UNIA
Ecologistas en Acción
Ecor.Network
Ecoteam – Energy and Environmental Consulting non for profit NGO
EDEN Center
EKOenergy ecolabel
Electra Energy Cooperative
Emergenzaclimatica.it
Enginyeria sense Fronteres
Environmental Association “Za Zemiata” – Friends of the Earth Bulgaria
Environmental Justice Foundation
Eurocadres
Fastenaktion
Fern
Focus društvo za sonaraven razvoj
Food & Water Action Europe
Forests of the World
Forum Ambientalista
Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth Ireland
Fronte Verde
Fundacja Mission Possible
Generation Climate Europe
GLOBAL 2000
Global Witness
Go Green
Green Liberty
Greenpeace (European Unit)
International Network for Sustainable Energy (INFORSE) – Europe
Kolektiv Z
Legambiente
Les Amis de la Terre – Belgique asbl
Magyar Természetvédők Szövetsége – Friends of the Earth Hungary
Milieudefensie | FoE-NL
Mouvement Ecologique
Movimento No TAP/SNAM di Brindisi
Naturefriends International
No Gasdotto SNAM
Plant-for-the-Planet
PowerShift e.V.
Pro Natura – Friends of the Earth Switzerland
Protect the Planet – Gesellschaft für ökologischen Aufbruch
Quercus – Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza
ReCommon
Rete Legalità per il clima (https://www.giustiziaclimatica.it/)
Rete Nazionale No Rigass No GNL
Rise For Climate Belgium
SAVE MY WORLD
Seas At Risk
Shifting Advocacy
Swiss Youth for Climate (SYFC)
The Climate Reality Project Europe
Trócaire
Ultima Generazione Lazio
United for Global Mental Health
Utviklingsdfondet / The Development Fund, Norway
VšĮ “Žiedinė ekonomika”
WISE Nederland
Women Engage for a Common Future – WECF International
World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ)
Youth and Environment Europe
ZERO – Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável