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Journal article

Swimming upstream: addressing fossil fuel supply under the UNFCCC

This article outlines reasons why it is important that Parties to the Paris Agreement find ways to more explicitly address the phasing out of fossil fuel production under the UNFCCC.

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Citation

Piggot, G., Erickson, P., van Asselt, H. and Lazarus, M. (2018). Swimming upstream: addressing fossil fuel supply under the UNFCCC. Climate Policy, advanced online. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2018.1494535

Reducing fossil fuel supply is necessary to meet the Paris Agreement goal to keep warming ‘well below 2°C’, yet the Agreement is silent on the topic of fossil fuels.

This article describes how countries aiming to keep fossil fuel supply in line with Paris goals could articulate and report their actions within the current architecture of the Agreement. It also outlines specific mechanisms of the Paris Agreement through which issues related to the curtailment of fossil fuel supply can be addressed.

Mapping out a transition away from fossil fuels – and facilitating this transition under the auspices of the UNFCCC process – can enhance the ambition and effectiveness of national and international climate mitigation efforts.

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SEI authors

Peter Erickson

SEI Affiliated Researcher

SEI US

Profile picture of Harro van Asselt
Harro van Asselt

SEI Affiliated Researcher

SEI US

Michael Lazarus
Michael Lazarus

Senior Scientist Emeritus

SEI US

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Topics and subtopics
Climate : Climate policy
Related centres
SEI US , SEI Oxford

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