Civil society issues warning letter on COP30-lead roadmap initiative
Following the 12th letter from the COP30 Presidency, a group of 114 civil society organizations issued an open letter warning that, without stronger political commitment and a genuinely participatory process, the COP30-led roadmap initiative risks becoming “another document that gathers dust,” rather than a meaningful driver of the fossil fuel phase-out.
The letter comes amid escalating climate impacts and geopolitical instability. It asserts that the credibility of global climate action increasingly depends on whether governments can deliver a “just and orderly decline of fossil fuel production and consumption.” Signatories include climate justice, Indigenous, human rights, faith-based and community groups.
Organizations stress that the fossil fuel roadmap initiative by the COP30 Presidency must go beyond a technical exercise. “If anything, the start of 2026 has made one thing unmistakably clear: countries must break free from volatile oil markets that expose them to geopolitical risk and repeated price shocks. This is about a managed decline of fossil fuels and delivering affordable, just energy,” said Andreas Sieber, Head of Political Strategy at 350.org, which has coordinated the letter initiative, along with Brazilian network Observatório do Clima. “This roadmap is a critical opportunity to turn global commitments into credible action—rather than another document that sits on a shelf,” said Sieber.
To deliver real impact, signatories say the fossil fuel transition roadmap must be transparent, co-created and inclusive, with meaningful participation from civil society, Indigenous Peoples and traditional and local communities, and co-leadership by Brazil alongside partner countries, particularly from Latin America and the Pacific.
“The Brazilian presidency will be over in a few months, and we need other willing countries or groups of countries to carry the torch, since this will necessarily be a multi-year process”, said Claudio Angelo, head of International Policy at Observatório do Clima. “This is why co-ownership of the roadmap process will be crucial. Brazil will need to balance very carefully the need for a document that is bold and inclusive at the same time.”
The letter warns that continued dependence on fossil fuels exposes countries to price shocks, conflict and coercion, arguing that a science-based transition is essential not only for climate goals but for economic resilience and political stability. It further calls for the roadmap to: have strong safeguards against vested fossil fuel interests, including the exclusion or strict limitation of inputs ensure developed countries meet their climate obligations, including finance; address impacts on workers and communities and ensure that the costs, benefits, and opportunities of the transition are fairly distributed across countries and communities, have sustained ministerial leadership, strong democratic accountability and human rights safeguards.
“People of the Pacific and the Amazon celebrated the announcement of a roadmap to take us to a future beyond fossil fuels. We hope the COP30 presidency lives up to the acclamation this roadmap earned them last November. This year has shown us that the 1.5-degree target is dangerously at risk, and we can’t afford just another document without concrete steps to transition. A delayed shift from coal, oil, and gas will devastate the Pacific, the Amazon, and countless frontline communities worldwide,” said Fenton Lutunatabua, 350.org Program Manager, Pacific & Caribbean.
