Oil Change International

05/29/2026

The world's dependence on fossil fuels is increasingly an economic, development, and energy security problem. As recent geopolitical conflict and oil and gas disruptions have shown, countries that rely on imported fossil fuels are vulnerable to price shocks, inflation, rising debt burdens, and political instability. Yet many governments still lack concrete plans for how to transition away from that dependence.

In a new op-ed for Climate Home News, Andreas Sieber of 350.org and Shady Khalil of Oil Change International argue that COP31 should encourage countries to develop domestic roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels—plans with clear milestones, investment strategies, and measures to support workers, communities, and economic development.

The transition must be fair and tailored to national circumstances. But without credible planning, the shift risks becoming disorderly, expensive, and socially disruptive.

Climate commitments matter but they mean nothing without actual implementation plans.

(This article is behind a paywall, so we've highlighted some of the key arguments above. Link to full article in the comments)

05/08/2026

A new report by Oil Change International and Power Shift Africa finds that oil and gas have not and will not deliver economic development in Africa’s producing countries.

Despite decades of extraction:

🔺 African economies are reeling from to global shocks due to the American-Israeli war on Iran
🔺 600 million people in Africa lack electricity
🔺 ~40% of people in major producers like Nigeria & Angola live in extreme poverty

Today’s global energy crisis, driven by geopolitical conflict, is making this even clearer, with rising fuel and food prices hitting households hardest.

The report, Pipe Dreams: How Oil and Gas Are Failing to Deliver Economic Development in Africa, shows that this is not accidental. The fossil fuel model is structured in ways that extract wealth while leaving countries and people more impoverished.

As leaders gather for the Africa–France Summit, the question is whether future investments will support more resilient, people-centered pathways. With over 30 Heads of State and 2,000 CEOs expected to attend, the summit places strong emphasis on investment and private sector partnerships. However, without addressing how these investments are structured—and who controls them—there is a risk of reinforcing existing inequalities.

A different pathway is needed—one that centers economic justice, energy access, renewable energy, and development that works for African people.

As conflict-driven price shocks expose fossil fuel volatility, new analysis warns against deepening reliance ahead of Africa–France Summit

05/07/2026

Webinar: Africa’s Energy Crossroads — Global Shocks and the Future of Development

Decades of oil and gas extraction in Africa have delivered limited and uneven development, leaving many economies exposed, dependent, and vulnerable to global shocks. As geopolitical disruptions and shifting energy markets reshape the global landscape, continued reliance on fossil fuels risks deepening these challenges.

At the same time, renewable energy offers a more resilient and inclusive pathway—one that can expand energy access, create jobs, and strengthen local economies.

Oil Change International and Power Shift Africa invite you to a discussion on how today’s global disruptions are shaping Africa’s energy future and economic prospects, alongside the launch of a new report:

Pipe Dreams: How Oil and Gas Fail to Deliver Economic Development in Africa

The findings come at a critical moment, as leaders prepare for the upcoming Africa–France Summit, where decisions on energy investment and economic cooperation will shape development pathways across the continent.

When:
🗓️ Friday, May 8, 2026
⏰ 2:00pm EAT | 1:00pm CAT/SAST | 12:00pm WAT | 7 AM EDT

Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JzbqBAWHSMerkw1gmqvq0g

Panelists:
Greg Muttit, Researcher and lead author, UK
Melania Chiponda, Human rights defender and energy justice advocate, Zimbabwe
Kudakwashe Manjonjo, climate and political activist based in Zimbabwe working, Just Transition Expert, Power Shift Africa

Moderator
Edith Kimani: African Deutsche Welle News correspondent,

Live French interpretation will be available.

Power Shift Africa

04/29/2026

In Santa Marta a line is being drawn. The Conference shows that momentum to move beyond fossil fuels is building and cannot be ignored.

It’s never been more clear that fossil fuel phase out is imperative for stability and peace. Leadership from the Global South shows that this conference is not a one-off moment but the start of a process with planned, government-led transitions, national roadmaps, international cooperation, and second conference co-hosted by Tuvalu and Ireland, to turn phaseout into a reality.

But the tides will not turn on their own. For this process to break the UNFCCC deadlocks, the richest polluting countries must show they are serious.

A just transition requires breaking the structural barriers that keep countries locked in crisis—through debt cancellation, scaled-up public finance, and a clear rejection of the false solutions and industry influence that continue to delay real action. Governments must match this growing momentum with concrete changes to deliver a transition that works for people, not profit, because the human cost of delay is already being paid every day.

Read our full statement about the the Santa Marta Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels:

In response to the close of the Santa Marta conference, Bronwen Tucker, Oil Change International Public Finance Lead, said: “In Santa Marta a line is being drawn. The Conference shows that momentum to…

04/28/2026

Colombia is pursuing one of the world’s most ambitious fossil fuel phaseouts. But Global North countries - the ones most responsible for the climate crisis - have built a fossil fuel debt trap rooted in colonialism that’s blocking progress.

Despite this, Colombia has started its shift away from fossil fuels. The country is showing both what’s possible - and the limits of what Global South countries can do alone.

Rich Global North countries must stop blocking reforms to the unfair global financial rules that keep countries like Colombia trapped in fossil-fuelled debt cycles.

That includes supporting a UN debt convention - to enable faster, fairer debt restructuring and cancellation, and pay climate finance in grants, not loans, so that it can go way further for unlocking an equitable transition to renewable energy that leaves no one behind.

Link in bio for the new report from .fem and that showcases how the fossil fuel debt trap is playing out in the Global South across Colombia, Egypt, Guyana, Jordan, and Sri Lanka.

04/27/2026

We are in Santa Marta with demanding change.

This week, over 50 countries have gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia for the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels. As civil society, we stand united in one clear call: End Fossil Fuel Dependence.

But while communities across the Asia-Pacific are pushing for a just transition, Japan is doubling down on fossil fuels—promoting LNG, ammonia/hydrogen co-firing, biomass, and CCS under the AZEC agenda.

At a time of global energy crisis, this approach risks locking Southeast Asia into expensive, volatile, and outdated energy systems.

Across the region, people are demanding something different:
⚡ Renewable energy that cuts emissions
⚡ Affordable systems that reduce energy poverty
⚡ True energy independence

We call on the Japanese government to:
❌ End support for fossil fuels and false solutions that prolong dependence
✅ Redirect public finance toward community-based renewable energy and efficiency
✅ Respect communities and ecosystems—no carbon dumping, no harmful tech exports
✅ Use its influence to push for peace, including an end to the war in Iran

The path forward is clear. The transition must be real, just, and people-centered.

04/27/2026

As the People’s Summit concludes in Santa Marta and high-level talks with over 50 countries begin, global movements have sent an unmistakable message: climate action must be rooted in justice or it will fail.

Over the past days, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant communities, workers, youth, and civil society from around the world came together to launch the People’s Declaration for a Rapid, Equitable, and Just Transition for a Fossil-Free Future.

This declaration is a blueprint which calls for a fast, fair, full, and funded phaseout of fossil fuels, grounded in human rights, energy democracy, and reparative justice. It also names that the climate crisis is driven by systems of extraction—colonialism, capitalism, and militarism—that continue to shape today’s energy and economic systems.

At a time of global instability, this couldn’t be clearer. Fossil fuel dependence is fueling climate breakdown, economic volatility, and geopolitical conflict. And the impacts fall first and worst on Global South countries and frontline communities—those least responsible for the crisis.

A just transition means:

• Ending fossil fuel dependence through a planned, government-led phaseout
• Delivering public, non-debt-creating finance and cancelling unjust debts
• Ensuring universal access to renewable energy
• Rejecting false solutions that delay real progress
• Putting power back in the hands of communities

As countries convene in Santa Marta, this is the standard they will be measured against.

The moment calls for real action.

A fast, fair, and funded fossil fuel phaseout is not just necessary for the climate—it is essential for justice, stability, and a livable future for all.

PEOPLE’S DECLARATION FOR A RAPID, EQUITABLE, AND JUST TRANSITION FOR A FOSSIL-FREE FUTURE Download Download I. The Global ContextA. Geopolitics of Aggression and Destruction, Fossil Dependence, and the Oil, Gas, and Energy CrisisAll acts of invasion, aggression and occupation are profoundly repreh...

04/22/2026

Earth Day started as a demand for change.

Despite decades of warnings and disasters, fossil fuel expansion continues — pushed by the same interests profiting from crisis and conflict.

But so does resistance.

From frontline communities to global movements, people push for a different future. One where energy is clean, accessible, and controlled by people, not corporations.

We need fast, fair, full, and funded phaseout for a planet where we can all thrive.

04/22/2026

Here’s a snapshot of tankers currently heading to the U.S. to load up on crude.

It’s taken weeks for the fleet to offload what was already “on the water”—oil that was already in transit when the US/Israel attacked Iran. That supply buffered the initial shock. Now that cushion is gone, and the system is starting to feel it.

We’re entering a new phase. Onshore storage is draining. If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed much longer, we’re heading into serious oil shortages.

Benchmark prices like Brent and WTI aren’t reflecting this—they price a month out, and traders are still hoping the situation will improve. But right now, it isn’t.

Oil for immediate delivery is already trading closer to $150/barrel in many places—just not in the U.S. yet. But U.S. production hasn’t increased. Pipelines are full. Loading capacity is near max. Exports are rising, but that just redistributes existing crude.

Even if Hormuz reopens soon, the system is out of sync. It will take months to reset. We haven’t seen the full impact yet.

What this means:

More price spikes are coming. Shortages will hit unevenly, falling hardest on countries and communities already under pressure.

This is what fossil fuel dependence looks like in a crisis — volatile, unjust, and deadly. Only a rapid transition to renewable energy can reduce this kind of instability — because fossil fuel dependence will keep producing crises like this.

04/20/2026

was a rallying cry in the early 2000s after the Iraq war began. Today, with the that slogan is more relevant than ever. But what if we had a renewable energy economy, that by its nature would have to be decentralized? Watch Andy Rowell of Oil Change International discuss the importance of reconfiguring the global oil-based economy in light of wars and superpowers.

Subscribe for as little as $4 a month to watch the full interview at risingupwithsonali.com.