Policy Salon Dinner: International Diplomacy for the Fossil Fuel Transition and Phase Out from Climate Week to COP27

As international efforts mount to align the production of coal, oil, and gas with global climate and sustainable development goals, a just transition from the fossil-fuel system calls for international policy that meets the scale of the challenge. 

The challenges of climate change and meeting the 1.5℃ goal of the Paris Agreement requires international coordination and policies that bring about a just transition away from coal, oil, and gas. This has been made clear by the UN Environment Programme Production Gap Report and follows from the UN Secretary General’s statements, including that “Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness.” The need to promote a phaseout of all fossil fuels was also one of the recommendations of the UN Stockholm50 Summit this year. At the same time, efforts to address fossil fuel production face enormous challenges such as the evolving concept of energy security due to the war in Ukraine and other ongoing energy crises around the world.

Participants will share ways to work together in the diplomatic space to advance international policy on fossil fuel production through the following discussion topics:

• Identify key issues for fossil fuel diplomacy over the next several months to a year.
• Address goals for fossil fuel diplomacy towards COP27.
• Expand the conversation around fossil fuels transition and phase out diplomacy to a wider group of leaders in the area of international climate politics.

This discussion will gather around 20 people representing governments, institutions, civil society, experts, and others in the international climate change policy space.