On April 17, 2015 in Washington D.C., a group of eight countries known as the Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform released a Communiqué encouraging governments to prioritize the reform of fossil-fuel subsidies ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris this year. The Friends, with the support of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, are encouraging other governments to endorse the statement. Both France and the United States have also endorsed the Communiqué. 

The IISD’s Global Subsidies Initiative has been a world-leader for more than a decade in the quantification and evaluation of subsidies. The GSI has long made the case that fossil-fuel subsidies are a barrier to sustainable development. 

The launch of the Communiqué was chaired by Scott Vaughan, IISD’s President and CEO, and presentations were made by Ministers from the Friends group. 

A new motion graphic on fossil-fuel subsidy reform and the Paris Climate Change Conference is available here.

Hashtag: #FossilFuelSubsidyReform

Photo credits: Sam Kittner

Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophony

Scott Vaughan, President-CEO IISD

Leonardo Martinez-Diaz, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment and Energy, U.S. Treasury Department

Mr Vaughan with Isabella Lövin, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation

Ms. Alejandra Solano Cabalceta, Minister Counsellor, Costa Rica, Mr. Tuomas Saarenheimo, Permanent Under-Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Finland with Mr Martinez

Friends of Fossil Subsidy Reform and supporters