350.org Responds to U.S. Backing of Proposal to Phase Down Fossil Fuels

U.S. presidential envoy for climate John Kerry said the U.S. would back a proposal to phase down all fossil fuels at COP27 as long as it focused on projects with "unchecked emissions."

Kerry went on to clarify that the U.S. supports a "phase down" of "unabated" fossil fuel projects but that oil, gas, and coal projects that use carbon capture and other technology to control greenhouse gas emissions continue to be supported.

In Response, 350.org's North America Director Made the Following Statement:

"It's a step in the right direction to see John Kerry state U.S. support for a fossil fuel phase down. The nuance however is in the details and the loopholes. The U.S. delegation is making a distinction between "abated" and "unabated" fossil fuel projects and ramping up their desire to use carbon capture and sequestration and carbon tax credits as means to mitigate the climate crisis. Fundamentally that is an insufficient approach that continues to provide cover for the fossil fuel industry to continue to drill for and burn fossil fuels that are destroying our planet.

"If the U.S. wants to be a real leader on climate, we need to see them push real solutions including investing in solar and wind. The distinction that the U.S. delegation is making enables these companies to continue to extract and burn fossil fuels. We need a plan for a complete phase out of fossil fuel usage without any loopholes. Fossil fuel executives have made billions while communities continue to suffer from climate chaos. The U.S. needs to incorporate a windfall tax on fossil fuel companies with no caveats and create a mechanism for these companies to pay for the damage they've caused, reinvesting the finances into a renewable energy economy."