The Great Climate Betrayal: How Four "Planet Wreckers" Sabotaged the Paris Agreement

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A new, explosive report from Oil Change International—Planet Wreckers: Global North Countries Fueling the Fire Since the Paris Agreement—reveals a devastating truth: a handful of wealthy nations have not only failed to meet their climate obligations but have actively driven global oil and gas expansion, all while withholding essential climate funds from the developing world. This is not just a policy failure; it is a profound betrayal of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement.

The Four Countries Fueling the Fire

The report singles out four Global North nations as the "Planet Wreckers" overwhelmingly responsible for blocking global progress on phasing out oil and gas production: the United States, Canada, Australia, and Norway.

A decade after the Paris Agreement committed governments to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 ∘C, fossil fuel extraction and use have continued to rise and hit record levels. The remaining carbon budget for the 1.5 ∘C limit could be depleted in just three years if current carbon pollution remains consistent.

The actions of these four countries directly contradicted global efforts during this critical period:

The Global Derailment: Collectively, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Norway increased their oil and gas production by nearly 40 percent between 2015 and 2024, adding over 14 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d).

A World in Retreat: In the same period, the combined oil and gas extraction in the rest of the world actually dropped by 2 percent (a reduction of 2.37 million boe/d). This means that the total global output rose only because of the massive expansion in these four countries.

The U.S. Engine: The United States alone accounts for over 90 percent of the net global increase in extraction through 2024, driving up its production by nearly 11 million boe/d. This surge was more than five times the increase in any other country during this time.

Proportional Extremes: Australia, meanwhile, led all top 15 producers in the rate of increase, with its output surging by 77 percent.

The hypocrisy is stark: these wealthy nations, which are most responsible for the climate crisis and possess the highest economic capacity, are not only failing to phase out their own production (as they should before 2035) but are actively planning for the majority of the world's expansion through 2035.

The Financial Double Standard: Profits vs. Payments

Compounding the production betrayal is a stunning financial failure: Global North governments are enabling record fossil fuel profits while refusing to pay the climate finance they legally owe to the Global South.

Profits Trillions Apart: Since the Paris Agreement, Global North countries as a whole paid only $280 billion in grant-based climate finance to the rest of the world. In the very same period, they enabled oil and gas companies headquartered in their countries to rake in at least $1.3 trillion in profits.

Five-Fold Disparity: These company profits were five times the amount of climate finance paid by the Global North.

The Big Oil Six: The sheer scale of corporate profit is highlighted by the fact that just six oil majors (ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, TotalEnergies, BP, and Eni) made over $580 billion in profits—more than twice the amount of all Global North climate finance combined.

Policy Failure: This profit windfall is a direct result of government policies, including handing out $465 billion in cumulative subsidies for fossil fuel production and infrastructure since 2015.

While the Global North pushes unrealistic proposals for private investors to bankroll the transition, the reality is that Global South countries need at least $1 to $5 trillion per year in grants to fund a just transition and address escalating climate impacts.

The Path Forward: From Betrayal to Action

The report issues an urgent call to action, demanding that Global North governments take decisive steps to align with the 1.5 ∘C limit and support a just and equitable fossil fuel phase-out globally.

Phase Out First and Fastest:

Put an immediate halt to issuing new licenses and permits for fossil fuel expansion.

Implement domestic phase-out plans with clear timelines, and make fossil fuel companies responsible for decommissioning, clean-up, and transition support for affected workers.

Cease promoting dangerous "distractions" that prolong the fossil fuel industry's business model, such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and fossil fuel-based hydrogen.

Pay Up and Reform:

Present new commitments to provide at least $1 trillion per year in grant-based and highly concessional public finance.

Free up public funds by ending fossil fuel handouts and taxing the ultra-wealthy and corporations. The Global North can mobilize at least $6.6 trillion a year through redistributive policies.

Support financial system reform, including efforts to adopt UN debt and tax conventions, to dismantle the "climate colonialism" embedded in global economic rules.

As nations look toward the next round of global climate talks (COP30) in Brazil, the message is clear: the hypocrisy must end. Governments cannot claim to be working towards the Paris goals while approving new oil and gas extraction and failing to pay their fair share of climate finance.

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