The international community must act immediately to ensure all nations reduce the consumption of fossil fuels (gas and oil). To what extent do you agree or disagree?
I completely agree that immediate global collective action is required to cut fossil fuel consumption across all countries, for two core reasons related to shared climate risks and equitable energy transition.
First, greenhouse gas emissions from burning gas and oil do not respect national borders, so uncoordinated national action will fail to stop catastrophic climate change. If only a handful of wealthy nations cut fossil fuel use while developing economies continue to rely on cheap oil and gas for industrial growth, global carbon levels will still cross the 1.5℃ warming threshold within two decades, triggering extreme weather, crop failures and sea level rise that threaten every country. For example, a 2023 UN climate report found that current voluntary national emission cuts would lead to 2.7℃ of warming by 2100, making cross-nation binding rules an urgent necessity.
Second, coordinated international action can address the unfair barriers that prevent poorer nations from reducing fossil fuel use. Without global support, low-income countries cannot afford the upfront costs of building renewable energy infrastructure, and would face severe economic collapse if forced to cut fossil fuel access without assistance. The international community can establish shared funding schemes, technology transfer programs and unified carbon pricing to make the transition fair and feasible for all nations, rather than leaving poorer regions to bear an unfair burden.
Admittedly, a sudden total ban on fossil fuels would cause short-term energy supply shocks for countries dependent on these resources. But gradual, globally coordinated reduction targets, with differentiated timelines for nations at different development stages, can avoid these disruptions while delivering long-term shared benefits.