98 Civil Society Organisations Pledge for Fossil Free Politics

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..

Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, together with the Fossil Free Politics campaign, has launched the Civil Society Pledge for Fossil Free Politics, a collective call to end fossil fuel influence in policymaking. The Civil Society Pledge, signed by 98 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, 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! 

NOTES: 

1. Find the Pledge here.
2. Find FAQs here.
3. Do you still want to sign? Contact us:  joe.inwood@caneurope.org, julia.cabre.surroca@caneurope.org, marianna.plomariti@caneurope.org

The pledge was signed by:

1. A Sud
2. Act Church of Sweden
3. Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM)
4. AirClim
5. Altro Modo Flegreo
6. Amis de la Terre France / Friends of the Earth France
7. Anti-Jindal & Anti-POSCO Movement (JPPSS)
8. ASSOCIACIÓ CATALANA PER LA PAU
9. Associazione Bianca Guidetti Serra
10. Austrian Alliance for Climate Justice
11. Bond Beter Leefmilieu
12. Campagna Nazionale Per il Clima Fuori dal Fossile
13. CAN Europe
14. Canopea
15. CEE Bankwatch Network
16. Center for Climate Change
17. Center for ecology and energy
18. Center for Environment
19. Center for environmental research and information Eko-svest Skopje
20. Centre for Citizens Conserving Environment & Management (CECIC)
21. Christian Aid Ireland
22. CIDSE
23. Clean Air Action Group
24. Climate Alliance Switzerland / Alliance Climatique Suisse / Klima-Allianz Schweiz
25. Co-ordination Office of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference for International Development and Mission (KOO)
26. COBAS Brindisi
27. Comitato Ulivivo
28. Coordinamento Nazionale No Triv
29. Coordinamento Ravennate Fuori dal Fossile
30. Cordaid
31. Debt Observatory in Globalisation (ODG)
32. Deutsche Umwelthilfe
33. eco-union
34. ECODES
35. Ecological Association EKO-UNIA
36. Ecologistas en Acción
37. Ecor.Network
38. Ecoteam – Energy and Environmental Consulting non for profit NGO
39. EDEN Center
40. EEB
41. EKOenergy ecolabel
42. Electra Energy Cooperative
43. Emergenzaclimatica.it
44. Enginyeria sense Fronteres
45. Environmental Association “Za Zemiata” – Friends of the Earth Bulgaria
46. Environmental Justice Foundation
47. Eurocadres
48. Fastenaktion
49. Fern
50. Focus društvo za sonaraven razvoj
51. Food & Water Action Europe
52. Forests of the World
53. Forum Ambientalista
54. Friends of the Earth Europe
55. Friends of the Earth Ireland
56. Fronte Verde
57. Fundacja Mission Possible
58. Generation Climate Europe
59. GLOBAL 2000
60. Global Witness
61. Go Green
62. Green Liberty
63. Greenpeace (European Unit)
64. International Network for Sustainable Energy (INFORSE) – Europe
65. Kolektiv Z
66. Legambiente
67. Les Amis de la Terre – Belgique asbl
68. Magyar Természetvédők Szövetsége – Friends of the Earth Hungary
69. Milieudefensie | FoE-NL
70. Mouvement Ecologique
71. Movimento No TAP/SNAM di Brindisi
72. Naturefriends International
73. No Gasdotto SNAM
74. Plant-for-the-Planet
75. PowerShift e.V.
76. Pro Natura – Friends of the Earth Switzerland
77. Protect the Planet – Gesellschaft für ökologischen Aufbruch
78. Quercus – Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza
79. ReCommon
80. Rete Legalità per il clima 
81. Rete Nazionale No Rigass No GNL
82. Rise For Climate Belgium
83. SAVE MY WORLD
84. Seas At Risk
85. Shifting Advocacy
86. Swiss Youth for Climate (SYFC)
87. The Climate Reality Project Europe
88. Trócaire
89. Ultima Generazione Lazio
90. United for Global Mental Health
91. Utviklingsdfondet / The Development Fund, Norway
92. VšĮ “Žiedinė ekonomika”
93. WISE Nederland
94. Women Engage for a Common Future – WECF International
95. World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ)
96. WWF European Policy Office
97. Youth and Environment Europe
98. ZERO – Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável