Fossil free future Take action to end UK government support for fossil fuels

Why campaign to stop fossil fuels?

Across the world we are seeing the devastating impacts of climate breakdown because of our reliance on coal, gas and oil. Extraction and burning of fossil fuels is heating the planet and destroying communities. More than two-thirds of man-made greenhouse gas emissions come from the fossil fuel industry. This must end.

We need to drastically and urgently reduce emissions by rapidly phasing out our toxic relationship with fossil fuels. This means putting an end to proposals for new fossil fuels here in the UK and scrapping support for dirty energy projects overseas and investment in the companies who operate them.

Who’s most at risk?

From more frequent extreme weather events and rising sea levels, to reduced food security, this destructive industry is making the planet increasingly uninhabitable. People in the Global South, Indigenous Peoples, people of colour, women, young people, and those on low incomes are bearing the brunt of these impacts.

It’s time to for our governments to stop fuelling the climate crisis and start investing in renewable energy and people’s lives and livelihoods. Starting with those most impacted who have done the least to cause this crisis, and workers reliant on polluting industries.

Image: Milamba community, Cabo Delgado province © Mozambique Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands

How we’ll win

Across the country, and the world, communities have been standing up to the fossil fuel giants and our government’s support of them. We can all play our part in ending support for fossil fuels at home and abroad.

We've already had some brilliant successes...

Fracking
In 2022 local communities defeated fracking for a second time by coming together and showing that we don’t want fossil fuel extraction here, or anywhere. We can, and will, continue to win and beat this dirty industry once and for all.
Ffos y Fran
Ffos y Fran, the UK’s largest opencast coal mine, is set to close after councillors unanimously rejected the operator’s application to continue mining until March 2024. This is a strong message that coal mining goes against Wales’ climate, planning and coal policies. Local communities, who’ve been tirelessly campaigning against Ffos y Fran for decades, will continue to make sure that the mining stops and the site is restored.
Glan Lash coal mine
Carmarthenshire councillors put nature and climate first, by saying no to further opencast coal mining at Glan Lash opencast mine in Carmarthenshire. The decision to stop further coal extraction at Glan Lash is another clear signal that the era of opencast mining in Wales is coming to an end.

See what we're campaigning on

Whitehaven coal mine
In Cumbria, local campaigners, supported by Friends of the Earth, are fighting plans for a new coal mine in Whitehaven and are advocating for alternative, sustainable jobs for West Cumbria. If it goes ahead the mine threatens to produce the equivalent emissions of over 5 million UK cars annually.
No Gas Caverns under Larne Lough
7 huge underground caverns for storing gas are set to be excavated under Larne Lough. They'd make a hypersaline "dead zone" in a marine protected area, where no animals or plants could survive. We're working with local campaigning group No Gas Caverns and took a case to the High Court in Belfast. The judge ruled against us, in a devastating blow to the local community. We’re reviewing the decision before deciding our next steps.
Horse Hill oil drilling
Local campaigners are fighting plans for an oil development in Horse Hill, Surrey. The Horse Hill Legal Challenge, brought by campaigner Sarah Finch on behalf of Weald Action Group, concerns the grant of planning permission to Horse Hill Developments Ltd in 2019 to drill four new oil wells and produce oil for 20 years – close to the net zero deadline – without considering the full climate impacts of the project.
Mega Gas Project in Mozambique
The UK government supporting a project that's ruining lives, fuelling violence and driving climate breakdown even further. In December 2021, we took the UK government to court, challenging UK Export Finance’s decision to fund a mega gas project in Mozambique. After a lengthy legal battle, the Court of Appeal ruled against our legal challenge, and permission to appeal was denied by the Supreme Court in June 2023, bringing an end to our case. While very disappointing, it doesn’t change our belief that the UK government shouldn’t be supporting this, or any other fossil fuel projects, so we'll continue to support Friends of the Earth Mozambique’s demands and call for UK support to be withdrawn.
Divestment
Local action groups and other community groups have been convincing their councils, and other institutions, to divest from fossil fuels. Across the UK, local authorities continue to invest billions of pounds in fossil fuels through their pension funds - despite the vast majority of councils having declared a climate emergency. Local activists have won commitments from their councils to fully divest local pensions in Waltham Forest, Islington, Lambeth, Southwark, and Cardiff. Read on to find out how you can do the same.

How can I take action?

Convince your council to divest from fossil fuels

Councils need to follow their words with action by moving money out of fossil fuels and into ethical, greener investments. Put simply, divestment means moving money out of unethical companies by getting rid of stocks, shares, bonds or investment funds that are harming people and our planet.

By convincing your council to divest, your group can help weaken the influence and power of fossil fuel companies. There are already more than 50 groups working for divestment locally, can your group be one of them?

Show your support for communities on the frontline

Sign a petition
Sign the petition to ask the government to stop plans for the coal mine in Cumbria and end the era of coal in the UK.
Use planning policies
If your council is in the process of developing their mineral plan this could be a key opportunity for you to prevent new fossil fuel projects in your area.