Have you heard of fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels, which include coal, gas and oil, play a huge role in our daily lives, often without us even thinking about it! For example, imagine you’re going to have coffee with your friend in your favourite café. Your car or transport might be powered by petrol; the coffee beans might have been flown into the country on a fuel-hungry aeroplane, then ground into a fine powder and whipped into a delicious drink by a coffee machine driven by non-renewable electricity.
But what’s the big deal?
Well, burning fossil fuels creates a lot of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that acts as a thermal blanket on top of the Earth, trapping in lots of heat, a bit like wearing a thick puffer jacket on a nice summer’s day! But instead of sweating and overheating, Earth’s coping mechanism comes in the form of unnaturally hot heatwaves, droughts, extreme flooding, and sea level rise.
For this reason, scientists and world leaders have agreed upon a common goal: to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change set this target based on extensive scientific research showing that breaching this threshold significantly increases the risk of irreversible impacts, like widespread ecosystem collapse, more intense natural disasters, and the displacement of millions of people. Therefore, staying below 1.5°C gives us the best chance of avoiding the worst outcomes and protecting the planet for future generations.
However, a 2024 study led by Dr Green anticipates that we will reach the 1.5°C target 21 years earlier than previously predicted, giving it a new ‘expiry date’ of 2029. Rather than declining, our fossil fuel consumption has actually been accelerating in recent years. We must, therefore, reduce fossil fuel usage immediately to meet carbon targets – and not, as Donald Trump recently suggested, ‘drill, baby drill.’
Don’t ‘drill, baby, drill’
If we are to stay within the crucial 1.5°C of warming, Dr Green and colleagues found that we must not begin any new fossil fuel projects – that includes both building new processing plants and extracting fuels from the earth.
To reach these conclusions, the scientists used a range of data from two huge databases: the Global Energy Monitor and the Rystad Energy’s UCube. These are governmental and global datasets taken from energy companies, which include the energy capacity of coal and gas not yet extracted. From this, the scientists could predict global gas and oil extraction for 2020 to 2040, a date range not too far in the future, making it highly relevant to policymakers and investors who make decisions about fossil fuel plants.
Enough energy for everyone
The study’s results show that there is enough energy produced by existing fossil fuel fields to power the majority of the world’s energy requirement, while remaining consistent with the 1.5°C warming goal, as well as following the International Energy Agency Net Zero Emission goals. In fact, new energy fields and exploration in gas extraction would double the necessary general energy to power a 1.5 °C world. Importantly, it is also easier to prevent the opening of new fossil fuel projects than shut down existing ones. Many people rely on existing plants or extraction fields for their jobs, and oil companies find it easier to lose future imaginary investments, rather than ones that are already in existence.
But how do we convince governments stop opening new fossil fuel plants?
We need a shift in what society believes to be wrong or right when it comes to fossil fuels. Dr Green’s study uses the end of slavery as an example of this. After almost 100 years of working people voicing their concerns and activists and politicians campaigning, the strong public opposition to the government led to the Slavery Abolition Act being passed and slavery in Britain becoming illegal [1]. Although a very different matter, this shows that if we stand up for what we believe in, the power of the people can lead to huge societal changes.
Finding Another Way
We can all contribute to the fight against climate change and the reduction of fossil fuel use in various ways. Simple actions like switching off lights, changing to energy-efficient LED bulbs, or writing a letter to your local MP to voice your opposition to proposed new fossil fuel plants all make a difference. And we know it works! After lots of protests against Rosebank oil field, the UK’s largest undeveloped oil field, the UK government scrapped plans to open Rosebank oil last year. So your voice matters, and you can make a difference!
Also, little things like choosing a bank that does not invest your money in fossil fuels is a great way to avoid indirectly supporting fossil fuels. Just to name a few – Nationwide, Starling Bank, and The co-operative bank do not fund fossil fuels, while HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays do. Actively choosing where to put our money also pushes big companies to do better and is surprisingly easy to do (see https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/banks/) More ideas include improving your home’s insulation, using public transport more often, or volunteering for a climate charity.
Just remember, every effort, big or small, helps in addressing this critical issue.
Article written by Sarah Bellis
Primary Paper:
Green, F. et al. (2024) ‘No new fossil fuel projects: The norm we need’, Science, 384(6699), pp. 954–957. doi:10.1126/science.adn6533
Other references:
- Historic UK (2019) The Abolition of Slavery In Britain Available at: https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Abolition-Of-Slavery/ (Accessed: 08 April 2025).
All images taken from Canva
