It’s a big week for the movement to Kick Big Polluters Out of climate policy.
Yesterday, the state of New York announced it’s suing Exxon Mobil for deceiving investors about its risks associated with climate change.
Today, European Parliament passed a resolution calling to address Big Polluters’ conflicts of interest at the global climate talks.
And on the heels of both of these big victories, a global coalition has launched the People’s Demands for climate justice.
Each of these underscores one thing: It’s past time to hold Exxon and Big Polluters accountable for their decades of climate deception, and advance strong policies for climate justice. Exxon not only deceived its investors, as New York alleges; it and the other fossil majors have spent decades manufacturing doubt and denial of the catastrophic impact of their business model.
It’s clear: Exxon and other Big Polluters should have no say in climate policymaking. And they should pay up for their abuses. 20 years ago, Big Tobacco paid for its similar, deadly campaign of deception. As the latest U.N. climate report makes clear, Exxon — with its Big Polluter allies — has followed Big Tobacco’s playbook to drive our planet to the brink. But its day of reckoning has come. The world can’t afford to pay — and keep paying — for Exxon’s abuses.
Of course, as The New York Times article mentions, Exxon has been trotting out its old greenwashing tricks: attempting to distract from the truth by spending a pittance to advance a carbon tax bill with a special clause designed to protect it from lawsuits like these.
People are demanding better. People deserve better. And New York’s announcement, on the heels of the launch of the People’s Demands, offers hope that people can win something much better — for the sake of people and the planet.
Add your voice and tell everyone you know: Sign the People’s Demands today.
