This article explores anti-fossil fuel norms, which set behavioral standards for phasing out the practices and processes that prop up the fossil fuel supply chain. Authors detail some of the unintended consequences of anti-fossil fuel norms – intended to help the planet meet the Paris Agreement – arguing that the concerns of marginalized communities must be incorporated into these norms to maintain their legitimacy and increase their chances for success among a wide range of audiences.
The world must rapidly and substantially shift away from fossil fuel reliance to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. For transition of this scale to occur, governments and people must increasingly adopt a set of moral and behavioral norms that pave the way.
In this article for Global Policy, SEI researchers highlight four key AFFNs and the potential pitfalls that might erode support for each, namely among marginalized communities whose lives and livelihoods could be disrupted by a global wind-down of fossil fuel extraction and use. They analyse:
The authors argue that policymakers and non-governmental organizations must anticipate the equity concerns associated with each norm and account for them when framing these messages to the public and developing policy.
Journal article / In order for climate negotiations to be resilient to global crises, the process needs to shift power to poor and climate-vulnerable countries and populations.
Other publication / A new report from Oxfam draws upon SEI research which highlights the disproportionate greenhouse gas emissions generated by upper-income populations.
Journal article / This paper looks at where and how to equitably phase out oil, gas and coal production.
