Ending fossil fuel use

The world is running out of excuses, not just time. Even as record-breaking temperatures, devastating floods and prolonged droughts become the new normal, governments continue to approve new oil and gas projects. A new analysis presented at the ongoing UN climate talks in Bonn has revealed the world is serious about limiting global warming to 1.5°C, fossil fuel consumption must be halved by 2035 and phased out entirely by 2070.

The analysis also concluded that fossil fuel production and consumption must decline by 20% by 2030 and reach real zero by 2070. This is not an idealistic wish list. With fossil fuels accounting for around 70% of global emissions in 2023, no credible climate strategy can coexist with expanding oil and gas production. Yet that is precisely what many governments continue to pursue. The contradiction is particularly glaring in developing countries, where energy security is often used to justify new fossil fuel investments. Pakistan is no exception. Despite being among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, it continues to explore new oil and gas reserves while struggling with an expensive and unreliable energy system. The responsibility, however, does not rest with Pakistan alone. Wealthier nations that built their economies on fossil fuels cannot continue urging restraint while approving new drilling projects at home. Their repeated failure to provide adequate climate finance and technology transfer has undermined trust and slowed progress in developing countries. Climate justice demands that those most responsible for global emissions shoulder a greater share of the financial burden of the transition.

The Bonn discussions should therefore serve as more than another diplomatic gathering. They should mark the point at which governments finally accept that the fossil fuel era has an expiry date.