Ritika Pratap 
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad says the idea of the Fossil Fuel Treaty is gaining momentum amongst governments, businesses, and civil society and we look forward to carrying it forward to significant advances in 2025.
Professor Prasad made the comments in Baku during a press conference where experts shared the advances of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative.
At the conference, hosted by the Colombian government, representatives of the growing group of 14 countries presented the cause ahead, to secure a negotiating mandate for a Treaty.
Professor Prasad says the Treaty is a tool to address climate injustice and drive the shift needed to achieve a much-needed transition to clean energy, while equitably managing the phase-out of harmful fossil fuels globally.
“This proposal for a legally binding mechanism presents an opportunity to hold wealthier nations accountable for their role in the crisis while providing vulnerable nations like ours with the financial and technical support we need for the transition.”
Prasad says the time has come to respond with greater urgency, greater focus, and solidarity.
Ministers and senior officials gathered to discuss key priorities for the Fossil Fuel Treaty proposal in 2025.
The focus was on legal pathways and financing mechanisms for a just transition.
Professor Prasad says the discussions have been going on for 28 years and future decisions need to uphold commitments to transitioning away from fossil fuels.
