Frequently Asked Questions

 

‘Fossil Free’ is a movement rising up in communities across the globe to demand a just and equitable transition to a world free from fossil fuels with 100% renewable energy for all. Fossil Free will supercharge the global climate movement with tens of thousands of new people and groups everywhere harnessing the power of local action.

This is about all of us wielding our power in our local communities, traditions and institutions to put an end to the coal, oil and gas economy, and get to work to build 100% renewable energy for all.

 

We are demanding a fast and just transition to a fossil free world by immediately halting all new fossil fuel projects and transitioning to 100% clean energy for all.

To build a world where all of us can drink clean water, breathe clean air, and have safe means for recovery from disasters, we need bold action from the federal government. But right now, local action is our best bet at securing lasting change. If we take back local power and pass Fossil Free Resolutions demanding an immediate halt to all new fossil fuel projects and commitment to 100% clean energy for all, we can build an upswell of support across the country for bold and sweeping climate action at all levels of government.

City by city, state by state, we will build support across all sectors of society and battles for justice to build a Fossil Free world that puts people and our planet ahead of profit. We are calling on elected officials to follow our lead.

 

We need dramatic shifts in policies at the local, state and national levels to shift the course from business-as-usual towards meaningful and bold climate action. We can win this bold vision for our world, but only if we demand it. By introducing and passing Fossil Free Resolutions, we can bring local elected officials, community leaders, and cities on board to commit to achieving our shared vision of a world that works for all of us.

City by city, state by state, this campaign will build support across all sectors of society. By building ground-up support, we will call anyone considering running for office to follow our lead.

 

Every city council, county board, and state legislature has the ability to pass resolutions and laws. Resolutions are often statements of intent by a legislative body to be on record as supporting a course of action. Resolutions are a powerful initial step to demonstrate a wide range of support for a Fossil Free world. Resolutions are a powerful tool for local leaders to hold city, township and/or county officials accountable for further meaningful action.

The Fossil Free Resolutions campaign supports movement building, leadership development, coalition building, and relationships development with electeds and community leaders. By introducing resolutions, we can build political power needed to transform politics and our energy economy starting at the local level. Together, we can bring millions of new people into the climate movement at the scale the crisis requires and build support from the ground-up toward powerful and lasting change across the U.S.

In places that have already passed resolutions, we will ratchet up tools and resources to fight for binding legislation and motions.

Alongside fights to halt dangerous fossil fuel projects, we build support in our communities for the “keystone-ization” of every dirty proposed pipeline, coal mine, fracking well and more. For those of us without a fossil fuel project to fight in our region, popularizing the demand to stop new projects across the country is a powerful way to get to work to build a Fossil Free world.

 

Two defining parts of a just and equitable transition include: (1) prioritizing low-income communities, communities of color, and works most impacted; and (2) holding accountable fossil fuel executives and their ilk who profit from climate change and the extractive economy.

By building support for a Fossil Free world that puts people and planet first, we will grow the number of people fighting to hold accountable fossil fuel billionaires and the politicians they employ who profit at the expense of the health and safety of our communities.

Investigative reports revealed that Big Oil companies like Exxon knew all there was to know about climate change and the risks of fossil fuels as far back as the 1950s! With mounting evidence of the worst case of potential fraud in history, we will hold bad actors accountable in both judicial courts and the court of public opinion.

 

Many groups are already working on resolution campaigns aligning with our demands: a fast and just transition to a Fossil Free world by immediately halting all new fossil fuel projects and transitioning to 100% clean energy for all.

Some city councils have passed variations of these demands. If that’s the case, but there’s a part of the Fossil Free demands that hasn’t yet been passed, you should focus on that. If your Mayor and/or elected officials have committed to 100% renewables for all, but hasn’t yet called for “no new fossil fuel projects,” that’s where you can hold them accountable.

The Fossil Free movement and our demands will connect fights across the country and around the world. We will provide digital tools, in-depth resources, and coaching for this type of local work. Our hope is for many more cities to join the climate movement by introducing resolutions with our demands. In places with resolutions in motion, Fossil Free will help reach new people join the fight.

 

Fossil Free is an open source campaign for any group introducing Fossil Free resolutions or legislation, challenging a fossil fuel project, building the community-led 100% clean energy transition, to identify with.

 

We are expanding the global Fossil Free campaign to build on the huge success of divestment. Six years after launching, over 800 institutions representing more than $5.5 trillion in assets across more than 77 countries have committed to some level of divestment. Divestment is now a mainstream financial tactic, and recent reports reveal the tactic successfully changed the conversation about climate change. We built immense power through the fossil fuel divestment movement by forcing our institutions to choose a side: that of fossil fuel billionaires, or that of the people they’re meant to represent. Now, we must build on this tactic to demand a Fossil Free world that works for all.

 

Stopping risky fossil fuel projects is key to building a Fossil Free world that works for all. Passing a Fossil Free Resolution in your community can serve as an powerful tool to leverage statewide fights to stop dangerous fossil fuel projects and hold elected officials accountable.

Real climate action means an immediate halt to pipelines, fracking wells, drilling — no new fossil fuels at all — and a swift and just transition to 100% renewables. As we follow the leadership of low-income and communities of color most impacted, we will make the “no new fossil fuel projects” demand a litmus test for elected officials and anyone considering running for office at all levels of government.

 

Fossil Free is a project of 350.org

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