World Climate Day will be celebrated on March 26th, a key date to reflect and demand urgent changes.
While governments declare climate emergencies and companies highlight their commitment to sustainability, the world continues to allocate public money to the main cause of climate change: fossil fuels.
Fossil subsidies: a global inconsistency
In 2024, direct subsidies to fossil fuels reached 1.3 trillion dollars, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
If we consider the hidden costs (health, environmental and climate impacts), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that the real amount exceeds $7.1 trillion, equivalent to 7.1% of global GDP. This means that more than $800 million per hour is being spent to sustain the climate collapse.
Meanwhile, global investment in clean energy in 2024 will reach $2 trillion. While this represents progress, it is still insufficient if fossil subsidies continue to drain resources and distort the market.
Consequences: a planet on the edge
The use of oil, gas and coal is responsible for 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions (IPCC). As a consequence, we face:
✔️ Extreme heat waves are life-threatening
✔️ Increasingly intense droughts and forest fires
✔️ Devastating floods in multiple regions
✔️ Melting glaciers and rising sea levels
Every degree rise in temperature brings us closer to ecological collapse.
A direct attack on human health
According to The Lancet Countdown 2024: More than 7 million people die prematurely each year from air pollution, much of it attributed to fossil fuels. In addition, climate change favors the spread of infectious diseases such as dengue fever, malaria and cholera. The most affected are:
✔️ Children
✔️ Elderly
✔️ Vulnerable people in low-income areas
The United States and the risk of climate reversal
In 2024, Donald Trump’s candidacy poses a threat to global climate action.
During his previous term in office:
❌ Withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement.
❌ Dismantled more than 125 environmental regulations.
❌ Pushed for large-scale fossil projects.
Now he has promised:
🚨 Eliminate subsidies for renewable energy.
🚨 Dismantle the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in the US.
🚨 Prioritize fossil fuels in its energy policy.
Why does this matter globally?
✔️ The United States is the second largest emitter of CO₂₂.
✔️ Its decline would slow investment in clean energy.
✔️ It would weaken international climate credibility.
✔️ It would strengthen denialist narratives in other governments.
Companies no longer have excuses
Companies can and should act with urgency:
✅ By adopting 100% renewable energy in their operations.
✅ Requiring their suppliers to make the same transition.
✅ Rejecting fossil-based energy contracts, even if they are cheaper.
The technology is ready. All that is lacking is the will.
An urgent call to action
At the World Economic Forum in Davos 2024, Al Gore made it clear: “Governments are subsidizing our own destruction. It is madness to keep feeding the fire with public money.”
This World Climate Day, it’s not enough to post inspirational phrases. We need real action:
✔️ Eliminate fossil fuel subsidies.
✔️ Redirect them to clean and fair energies.
✔️ Demand transparency and coherence from companies and governments.
Because the future is not negotiable. It can be defended.