the oecd s inventory of support measures for fossil fuels released in found that governments in the oecd and the emerging briics countries brazil the russian federation india indonesia the people s republic of china and south africa collectively support the production and consumption of fossil fuels to the tune of usd bln a year with most of that support coming in the form of budgetary transfers and tax breaks the oecd inventory identifies about such measures this effectively means that governments today still spend billions to encourage the extraction and burning of fossil fuels at taxpayers expense adding in the consumer price subsidies measured by the international energy agency iea this makes total subsidies and other forms of support for fossil fuels in the vicinity of usd bln a year oecd a