About Fossil Free

We demand a just and equitable transition to a world with:  

100% renewable energy for all
 No new coal, oil or gas projects
Not a penny more for dirty energy

To build the sustainable world we need, we’re fighting for 100% renewable energy for all, while taking on the fossil fuel industry, cutting off their social and financial power, and working with allies for a just and equitable transition.

Our Demands

The only way we get the world we want is to demand it. We believe that action on these demands will lead to a prosperous and just world.

Climate change is a big, complicated problem. But if these demands are acted upon, we will be well on our way to avoiding its worst impacts and builder a cleaner, more just world.

We don’t want to leave anyone behind in the transition of our energy system — whether it’s fossil fuel industry workers, communities facing climate impacts or exploitation by fossil fuel billionaires.

We demand the government retrain and rehire workers, make clean energy jobs accessible to all, and ensure that communities harmed by climate disaster and fossil fuel projects are given the opportunities and resources they need to recover.

We need to stop burning coal, oil and gas, which means we need to stop building fossil fuel infrastructure and projects that incentivize more extraction.

Fossil fuel projects don’t just add to the climate crisis: they threaten drinking water, air quality and the property rights of surrounding communities, who are almost always low income or communities of color. We need to make sure elected officials everywhere say “no” to each and every proposed fossil fuel project.

Together, we must transform our energy system to run on 100% clean energy for all. We have the technology, we just need the political will to put those solutions into action. A 100% renewable economy will not only mitigate the causes of climate change protect our communities, it’s also a huge opportunity to create millions of well-paying jobs.

As we prioritize those most impacted, we will work to hold accountable those who have profited off climate change — both in judicial courts and the court of public opinion.

We’re working to cut off the social license and financing for fossil fuels — divest, desponsor, defund. Divestment holds the fossil fuel industry responsible for its culpability in the climate crisis. By shifting public support and our money away from the fossil fuel industry, we can break the hold that they have on our economy and our governments, while making way for a just transition to renewable energy.

Our Campaign Phases

To combat the scale of the climate crisis, we need to mobilize millions of people, score hundreds of local wins and pressure politicians to be on the right side of history. The campaign phases below lay out our plan to do just that.

Launch Fossil Free campaigns all across the country, as part of the global Fossil Free movement.

Reach thousands of new people through canvassing, partnerships and other outreach initiatives.

Create a common consciousness around our movement demands and how we will win.

Pass Fossil Free resolutions at the local level.

Ensure that our communities are with us: get local businesses, neighborhood associations, colleges & universities, healthcare professionals, faith leaders, etc. to declare their support.

Continue to launch new Fossil Free campaigns & to pass resolutions at the local level.

Begin to really raise the stakes, using nonviolent direct action and other compelling tactics in our campaigns.

Ensure that our fight for a Fossil Free world is driving headlines and newsfeeds.

Put the pressure on elected officials at the Global Climate Action Summit (September 2018) by shining a light on leaders who have committed to building a Fossil Free world, and calling out those who haven’t.

Ensure our local resolution fights are working hand-in-glove with efforts to stop new fossil fuel infrastructure so that we can help stop the industry in its tracks and protect communities on the front lines of this struggle.

In September of 2018, organize a massive global mobilization around the Global Climate Action Summit in California to shine a light on leaders who have committed to building a Fossil Free world, and call out those who haven’t agreed to our demands.

Continue to expose all politicians’ stances on our demands:

– Work with those who choose to lead the pathway to a Fossil Free world with us OR

– Campaign against those who stand against the Fossil Free policies we know are necessary.

Continue to pass resolutions at the local level, ensuring the fight moves beyond city limits to statehouses and governor’s mansions across the country.

Continue to grow our movement by the tens of thousands, secure headlines, and raise the stakes using compelling tactics.

Rise with our progressive allies to ensure a fast and just transition to 100% renewable for all and no new fossil fuel projects are a part of the 2020 Presidential Platform.

Fights will continue locally; we know that building the power to win on the local level will secure lasting change for our communities.

As we reach for the 2020 presidential election, we will ensure that in order to win, candidates must be fighting for a fast and just transition to a Fossil Free world.

We will continue to push elected officials to uphold climate leadership by investing trillions in the renewable energy system we need and creating millions of jobs in the process.

How do we win?

Now that you’ve seen our demands and principles, you may be starting to ask new questions about the campaign. What kind of future do we want to see? How will we achieve our goals? Read on to find out how we plan to win.

Climate change is an urgent and present threat to our society, government, and everything we love. Every moment we fail to do something about it, the problem gets worse.

We’ve known about climate change for decades and have had solutions for nearly as long. The real problem is our politics.

Fossil fuel executives responsible for the problem have spent millions of dollars to mislead the public and sway elections in favor of regressive politicians. While fossil fuel billionaires profit from the ensuing confusion and corruption, our communities and climate pay the price.

We don’t have to accept the status quo.

We see a world where people and the planet we depend on are put first–above CEO salaries or shady political deals. It’s a peaceful and prosperous place free from fossil fuels with clean energy, air and water for all, tens of millions of new jobs in renewable energy, affordable public transportation, and a government by and for the people that mitigates the causes and effects of climate change.

In order to build a better world for everyone, we’ll need bold, sweeping action at the highest levels of government. To do that, we must build a groundswell of public support for the action we need.

We will begin building that groundswell at the local level, and galvanize this public support by passing resolutions at every level of government.

We will knock on doors, talk to our neighbors, pressure our elected officials, march, rally, pass laws and resolutions at the local and state level, and confront the fossil fuel industry head-on to realize our goals:

A fast and just transition to 100% renewable energy.
A ban on all new fossil fuel projects.

Our Principles

These principles offer guidance on how we do our work. We commit to uphold these principles throughout our work in this movement.

We do this by taking action in our communities to stop new fossil fuel projects, demand a swift transition to 100 percent clean energy and ensure that the transformation of our energy system is just and equitable.

Anyone who wants to fight the climate crisis can be a part of the Fossil Free movement. We need people across age, race and geography if we are going to win. Each of us has a role to play in this fight, we welcome and want to work with everyone.

To change everything, it takes everyone. We are committed to constantly bringing new people into our work, because this is how we believe we will win. Our messaging, actions and events are oriented towards building an ever growing movement.

We know there’s not a minute to waste. Our time is precious in this fight, so when we gather for meetings or events, we are intent on accomplishing tasks and moving projects forward. We come to meetings and events prepared and focused.

Climate change will impact everyone’s lives, but it will not impact everyone equally. We take time to recognize our own stake in this fight. We also take time to understand how this crisis disproportionately impacts low income communities, communities of color and many developing nations.

All of us have something to lose to climate change, and everyday we see it cause death and devastation. We take time in our work to mourn lives and livelihoods lost to climate change, but we do not let despair overcome us. We never lose hope.

Principled nonviolence allows the most people to participate in our movement and we believe we need maximum participation in order to achieve our goals.

We dance, sing and play together because it lifts our spirits, gives us hope, and keeps us motivated for the many challenges and victories ahead of us. We might disagree from time to time, but we are united by our shared goals, and strive to see everyone’s humanity.

We are all responsible for this movement and its ability to win. We support other campaigns, events and leaders. We celebrate one another’s commitment and work. We pick each other up when we stumble. We are in this together.

Fossil Free is a project of 350.org