Tzeporah
Berman
A Canadian environmental leader and founder of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a global initiative to phase out fossil fuels and accelerate a just energy transition. With decades of bold advocacy, Tzeporah has helped protect over 40 million hectares of forests and shape climate policies that challenge industries and governments worldwide
THE BACKGROUND
For over three decades, Tzeporah has been a key figure in environmental advocacy, driving major conservation efforts in Canada and beyond. She first gained national attention in the 1990s for leading the Clayoquot Sound logging protests, one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canadian history, which helped protect vast old-growth forests.
Since then, Tzeporah has played a pivotal role in securing agreements that have preserved over 40 million hectares of forest, including the Great Bear Rainforest and the Canadian Boreal Forest Initiative. Today, as fossil fuel expansion continues to accelerate the climate crisis, she is focused on one of the most urgent challenges of our time: phasing out oil and gas production.
Tzeporah's Leadership and Impact
Tzeporah is the founder and chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, a global movement advocating for a fair and orderly transition away from fossil fuels. The initiative calls for a binding international agreement based on three pillars: ending new fossil fuel expansion, phasing out existing production, and ensuring a just transition to renewable energy. Since its launch in 2020, it has gained support from over 10 national governments, the European Parliament, the World Health Organization, and thousands of civil society organizations. It has also been discussed at the UN and integrated into global climate negotiations.
Her leadership reflects an ability to navigate the intersection of activism, policy, and industry. Tzeporah has advised governments, worked with Indigenous communities, and helped broker agreements between environmental groups and corporate actors. While some see engagement with industry as a risk, her approach has led to landmark conservation agreements and major climate policy gains, proving that bold progress often requires unconventional collaboration.
Berman’s advocacy has earned her recognition as one of the "50 Visionaries Changing the World" by Utne Reader, and she received the Climate Breakthrough Award, one of the largest climate funding awards, to develop bold strategies for systemic change. With the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative gaining momentum, she is challenging the status quo of global energy policy, pushing to make fossil fuel phase-out a binding global commitment.
LOOKING AHEAD
Tzeporah is currently the International Program Director at Stand.earth, an environmental advocacy organization dedicated to climate action and corporate accountability. In this role, she leads global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, protect forests, and drive systemic policy change.
As momentum for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative grows, Berman remains committed to securing a binding international agreement to end fossil fuel expansion, phase out production, and ensure a just transition—protecting both the planet and the communities most affected by the climate crisis.
Tzeporah is the founder and chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, a global movement advocating for a fair and orderly transition away from fossil fuels. The initiative calls for a binding international agreement based on three pillars: ending new fossil fuel expansion, phasing out existing production, and ensuring a just transition to renewable energy. Since its launch in 2020, it has gained support from over 10 national governments, the European Parliament, the World Health Organization, and thousands of civil society organizations. It has also been discussed at the UN and integrated into global climate negotiations.
Her leadership reflects an ability to navigate the intersection of activism, policy, and industry. Tzeporah has advised governments, worked with Indigenous communities, and helped broker agreements between environmental groups and corporate actors. While some see engagement with industry as a risk, her approach has led to landmark conservation agreements and major climate policy gains, proving that bold progress often requires unconventional collaboration.
Berman’s advocacy has earned her recognition as one of the "50 Visionaries Changing the World" by Utne Reader, and she received the Climate Breakthrough Award, one of the largest climate funding awards, to develop bold strategies for systemic change. With the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative gaining momentum, she is challenging the status quo of global energy policy, pushing to make fossil fuel phase-out a binding global commitment.
"I am truly honoured to be considered a finalist for the Gothenburg Sustainability Award. This moment in history demands that we take risks, that we work hard to build bridges and powerful movements in support of climate ambition, justice and a safe energy transition.
This recognition is a validation of the courageous work of the 16 nations states and thousands of leaders from health, faith, indigenous groups and more who are working together to call for and develop a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty"
- Tzeporah Berman