What is the relationship between capitalism and fossil fuels? The Fossil Capitalism in the Global South project at the Neubauer Collegium centers the economic trajectories and energy systems of postcolonial societies in the Global South. Over the course of the academic year, this reframing of fossil capitalism will raise new questions about the relationship between state sovereignty, popular expectations, and the hierarchical structures that underpin the international energy order. Drawing together insights from history, anthropology, energy humanities, and political ecology, this introductory session traced new accounts of the forces holding the fossil economy in place. Moreover, revealed alternative paths and nodes of resistance to offer innovative visions of post-fossil futures.