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Moreland Council endorses Fossil Fuel Treaty

May 13, 2021 at 4:31 pm John Englart Leave a comment

At the Council meeting on Wednesday night (12 May 2021) Moreland Councillors voted to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, being the first city, shire or municipal government to do so in Australia.

John Englart for Climate Action Moreland said “Well done to Cr Pulford and Bolton for moving and seconding the motion and for those Moreland Councillors for taking leading action in voting for Moreland Council to join this international campaign that is gaining moment.”

Moreland joins the cities of Vancouver, Barcelona and Los Angeles in being ground breaking city endorsers. A motion was also tabled on Monday in the ACT parliament that will be considered next week to endorse the campaign.

Some of the City and Council resolutions are long and complex with extensive introductioins. Moreland’s motion was simple with a few key basic actions of endorsement, and letters to the Federal MP and Foreign Minister calling on Commonwealth Government to support, negotiate and eventually ratify this treaty. It did involve background information to Councillors.

Personal and organisation endorsements can be made at Fossil Fuel Treaty website

• His Holiness the Dalai Lama and 100 other Nobel Laureates urge cooperation at Climate Summit to stop fossil fuel expansion
• Open letter from scientists and academics calling for a Fossil Fuel Treaty
• Climate Action Moreland: Time for a Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty (November 2020)

Motion

That Council:

1. Endorses the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty campaign that is calling on national governments to negotiate and ratify a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to stop the expansion and begin phase out of fossil fuels and ensure a global just transition for all.
2. Writes to the Australian Foreign Minister and the Federal Member for Wills advising of this action and calling on the Commonwealth Government to support, negotiate and, eventually, ratify this treaty.

Background

Cr Pulford’s background:

The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is an international campaign aiming to fast track the phase out of fossil fuels in order to limit the accelerating climate crisis, and to support a just transition for people around the world who are currently working in the fossil fuel industry.

To date, this campaign has been endorsed by the City of Los Angeles, the City of Barcelona, City of Vancouver and Amber Valley Borough Council and Lewes Town Council in the UK. The City of Moreland would be the first Australian local government to endorse this campaign, giving Moreland an opportunity to continue to demonstrate leadership on the climate emergency.

In late April 2021, 100 Nobel Prize laureates, including the Dalai Lama, former East Timor President José Ramos-Horta and Australia’s own Professor Peter Doherty, endorsed the campaign. Two Moreland based grassroot community groups, Climate Action Moreland and Neighbours United for Climate Action, have also endorsed the campaign.

Endorsement is consistent with Moreland’s existing policies on the climate emergency. It is a similar policy stance as the motion to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that was passed at the April 2018 Council Meeting.

Here is some further information about the campaign from the campaign website:
“Climate change, like nuclear weapons, is a major global threat. Bold and immediate action is needed to address the climate emergency.

The main cause of the climate emergency is fossil fuels. Coal, oil and gas are responsible for almost 80 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions since the industrial revolution.Phasing out fossil fuel production, and fast-tracking progress towards safer and more cost-effective solutions, will require unprecedented international cooperation in three main areas – non-proliferation, global disarmament and a peaceful, just transition.”

Officer’s comments:

The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty aligns with the Vision, objectives and advocacy campaigns of Council’s Zero Carbon Moreland 2040 Framework and Climate Emergency Action Plan, and previous statements of support for collective civil society campaigns for urgent action by all levels of government to ensure climate justice.

Entry filed under: Just Transition, Moreland Council, news. Tags: FossilfuelTreaty, Moreland Council.