Governments around the world are increasingly turning to policies that restrict new fossil fuel production, with a new analysis showing these measures are far more widespread than often assumed.
A database released by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has identified 58 active restrictions across 25 countries and 27 subnational jurisdictions, ranging from bans on new coal mines to moratoria on oil and gas licensing and prohibitions on fracking or extraction in sensitive areas.
IISD’s research shows that supply side climate policies have expanded sharply over the past decade, signalling a broader shift in how governments are managing the decline of fossil fuel production.
Crucially, many of these restrictions have held firm through recent energy shocks, including the 2022-2023 global energy crisis.
This challenges the assumption that supply side climate measures are too politically fragile to survive periods of high prices or energy insecurity.
IISD did, however, identify 15 cases where restrictions were repealed or rolled back, often following changes in government, legal disputes or short term energy security pressures.
“Governments need to understand the full picture if they are to deliver lasting energy security,” said Paola Yanguas Parra, policy advisor at IISD.
“Restrictions already exist across a wide range of legal and political contexts, and many have endured even during periods of energy insecurity and price volatility.”
The database arrives at a moment when fossil fuel limits are again under scrutiny, including debates over the future of North Sea production in the United Kingdom and the European Commission’s consultation on updating EU Arctic policy.
IISD says the evidence shows these measures are not only possible, but already embedded in real world policy frameworks.
“Today’s policy debates are a reminder that fossil fuel restrictions can come under renewed pressure very quickly,” said Natalie Jones, senior policy advisor at IISD.
“But the evidence also shows that many governments have chosen not to give way to short term pressure, and that stronger legal design can make these measures more durable.”
The analysis highlights that restrictions tend to be more resilient when they are grounded in robust legal and institutional frameworks rather than informal policy statements.
Measures also endure longer when linked to broader public interest objectives, including ecological protection, water security, Indigenous rights, land use priorities and long term economic risk management, such as stranded asset concerns.
“Transitioning away from fossil fuels will require governments to manage not only demand, but also the expansion frontier of production,” said Yanguas Parra.
“This database helps show where that is already happening, what kinds of measures are being used, and what it takes to make them stick.”