The past year has seen devastating effects from climate change wrecking havoc around the globe, with global temperatures set to reach catastrophic new highs in the next five years. In what the UN secretary general António Guterres has described as an “era of global boiling”, communities around the world are battling with unprecedented heatwaves, wildfires and other climate-related extreme weather patterns.
“Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning,” said Guterres, adding that it will only avoid the very worst of climate change with “dramatic, immediate climate action”.
Unsurprisingly, one of the results of this increase in both urgency and awareness of the unfolding climate crisis has been an increase in activism – specifically anti-fossil fuel movements and campaigns from pressure groups such as Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil and Clean Creatives.
Moving on (somewhat) from the tried-and-tested tactic of gluing themselves in a prominent spot, chosen for maximum disruption, many of the groups are now targeting high-profile events and businesses rather than the general public. By doing this they are maximising publicity-generating confrontation and controversy but not inconveniencing commuters on their way to work – indeed, sometimes the disruption has been welcomed, as was seen on C4’s The Last Leg recently.
Despite the change of approach, many have still been quick to criticise, with Sky News’ Martin Austin condemning the group for stopping “people going about their daily business.”
However, it is indisputable that large companies and organisations are responding to the calls to stop financing companies which deal in or profit from fossil fuels. Maybe there is such a thing as bad publicity after all?
Authors take a novel approach
Authors recently walked out of Edinburgh International Book Festival over its investor Bailie Gifford’s fossil fuel links.
The walk out was organised by climate activist and author Mikaela Loach and was just one of many protests over the festival’s fossil fuel links, as around 50 authors – including Zadie Smith, Ali Smith, Jessie Berton and journalist Gary Younge – also sent an open letter calling on the festival to drop any sponsor which invests in fossil fuels.
Earlier this month Greta Thunberg also cancelled her scheduled appearance at the festival, accusing it of “greenwashing” over its links to Baillie Gifford.
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Christian Aid drops Barclays over fossil fuel finance
Charity Christian Aid recently swapped Barclays for Lloyds Bank over fossil fuel finance concerns. Chief operating officer Martin Birch said Barclays’ record on “fossil fuel finance, and their weak commitment to future improvements in this area meant that [the bank] had to seek a more suitable provider.”
Former Christian Aid chair Dr Rowan Williams “welcomes the clear stand that has been taken by Christian Aid on this matter”.
Williams, who was also former archbishop of Canterbury, added that it is essential that banks are “held accountable for the use of their resources in the context of our global emergency”.
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Church of England cuts ties with fossil fuels
The Church of England announced that it is disinvesting its £10.6 billion endowment fund from fossil fuel companies such as Shell and BP.
The move came after Shell announced that CEO Wael Sawamn had abandoned plans to cut oil production and is prioritising shareholder payouts instead.
The Church had previously rejected calls to divest from fossil fuels. However, in a statement last week, the archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said it has “long urged companies to take climate change seriously, and specifically to align with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and pursue efforts to limit the rise in temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
“In practical terms that means phasing out fossil fuels, investing in renewables, and plotting a credible path to a net-zero world,” he added.
Climate campaigners were very happy to hear the Church of England’s decision, especially after years of calling for change.
Christian Aid head of global advocacy Jennifer Larbie commented on the announcement. She described the Church of England’s decision to divest from fossil fuel companies as a “damning indictment of the harm these corporations are doing to the world”.
“Over the years the continued engagement of Church investors has emboldened oil and gas companies and given them the social license and political capital to influence politicians around the world. That time has ended,” she added.
The British LGBT Awards dump sponsors at last minute
A day before the big event, The British LGBT Awards dropped its sponsorship deals from Shell and BP after a number of top names — including comedian comedian Joe Lycett, journalist Shon Faye and drag queen Cheddar Gorgeous — withdrew from the event.
The statement said: “While the supporters of the event were chosen based on their proactive approach and firm commitment to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion among our LGBTQ+ community, we fully acknowledge the concerns that have been raised.
“The British LGBT Awards is dedicated to the long-term uplifting of the community and that means all of our community. As a result we have revised our supporters this year and once this year’s event is over we will be looking at our long-term strategy.”
Many urged the awards organisers to do more, however.
Novelist Yara Rodrigues Fowler shared a banner on Twitter on taking to protest outside of the ceremony show.
“They have dropped sponsors BP and Shell BUT they’re still sponsored by fossil fuel funders HSBC, Macquarie and Santander.”
https://twitter.com/yazzarf/status/1672166792515428353?s=20
A spokesperson for BP said the decision to be dropped from the British LGBT Awards is “disappointing”, adding that BP promotes an environment where “everyone can be their best and true selves and feel like they belong, with no exceptions, all year round”.
British Museum ends fossil fuel sponsorship after 27 years
The Guardian confirmed that the British Museum ended its sponsorship with BP after final-BP sponsored exhibition “Hieroglyphs: Unlocking Ancient Egypt” which closed in February of this year.
The Tate, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Shakespeare Company, Scottish Ballet and Royal Opera House have all ended partnerships of many decades with the energy giant in recent years.
However, the detail is still unclear as to how much of the partnership remains in effect. In the new disclosures, obtained by lawyers acting for the campaign group Culture Unstained, the museum said that “certain terms” of the deal remain in effect, because it has verbally agreed to let BP use its “supporter benefits” until the end of 2023.
It will not specify what ‘supporter benefits’ refers to, but The Guardian reports these are likely to include hospitality privileges, such as use of the museum’s spaces for corporate entertaining. However, this does not relate to any funding of the museum’s activities.
Lydia Hiraide, a member of the group BP or not BP? said: “Over the last 27 years, the British Museum has backed BP while it partnered with repressive rulers, spilled oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and poured billions of dollars into extracting new oil and gas.
“The fossil fuel industry is rapidly running out of places to hide its climate crimes, as it continues to put pollution and profit before people and the planet.”
