Christian climate protesters derail major oil & gas conference

Image Christian Climate Action

Source: Christian Climate Action

Christians were among dozens of climate justice activists who disrupted the Energy Intelligence Forum, a high profile summit of fossil fuel companies, which was due to kick off at the Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane this morning. The road outside the hotel was blocked with a banner reading "Your greed is killing humanity" and a choir infiltrated the building singing protest songs.

Visitors to the swanky Intercontinental Hotel in Park Lane encountered a 'Walk of Shame' with peaceful protesters holding placards including "Time to stop oil and money killing us" and "You knew, you lied, you made the climate crisis"

The event, previously known as 'Oil & Money', is hosting big names from the fossil fuel industry, including Shell CEO Ben van Beurden, Total CEO Patrick Pouyanné, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser and Liam Mallon of ExxonMobil.

For decades the major oil and gas companies, their financiers and enablers have known that fossil fuels are heating the atmosphere and destroying the planet. Despite this knowledge they continue with business as usual, delaying change to new, cleaner technologies and greenwashing their activities to further their profits.

Last year, the International Energy Agency warned that no new fossil fuel projects can be built if we are to limit global heating to 1.5C.

Val King from Christian Climate Action, said: "The greed of oil and gas companies is literally killing humanity, particularly the poor. They know it, the government knows it, but they are all hell-bent on pursuing their own financial and power-driven interests. It is hard to know how we as individuals can stop these huge fossil fuel corporations from continuing this path of destruction. It seems to me that all we can do is to pray and protest, pray some more and use our bodies in a non-violent way in order to sound the alarm to the rest of society, in the hope that an increasing number of people are listening and are willing to act."

Ruth Jarman, also from Climate Action, said: "It is not right that the corporations and banks profiting from the destruction of life on earth are able to meet in luxury and comfort without being reminded of the horrific impact of their business practices. We will be praying against the greed and love of money that is at the root of these evil institutions and for their repentance."

Joanna Warrington from Fossil Free London: "Companies like Shell and Total are pushing up our energy bills and fueling climate breakdown. Despite renewables being nine times cheaper, they're still ploughing ahead with new oil and gas projects that will do nothing to lower energy costs, while driving us off a climate cliff-edge."

Cathy Allen from Extinction Rebellion said: "For 43 years this conference has been a venue for fossil fuel companies, banks and governments where the rich and powerful have decided that cataclysmic floods, famines and fires do not matter if there is profit to be made for a few"

Ada Butler from Money Rebellion said: "As floods kill thousands in Pakistan and millions face starvation due to droughts in East Africa, fossil fuel bosses will be drinking tea with their financial backers from BlackRock, JP Morgan and Barclays. Climate breakdown is destroying lives right now - and it is individuals like the ones behind these doors who are most responsible."

Esteban Servat from Debt for Climate said: "For decades the fossil fuel companies and the banks have misled the public to hide the truth about the impacts of their operations and to perpetuate their profits. But no matter how much money they pour into lies, manipulation and dividing societies, we are coming together from the bottom-up and the people will prevail."

Mahoney from XR Youth said: "There is no path forward to a sustainable future until perpetrators of climate breakdown are held accountable to the Global South communities they are sacrificing in the name of growth and profit. We cannot allow fossil fuel industry executives and their financial and government enablers to meet behind close doors, shielded from the deadly consequences of their greed, in affluent neighbourhoods built on wealth stolen through colonial plunder."

In a statement, Money Rebellion, XR Youth, Debt for Climate, Christian Climate Action, Extinction Rebellion and Fossil Free London condemn the companies present for their continued role in expanding the use of fossil fuels; shamelessly profiting as the world spirals headlong to climate and ecological breakdown. They say: "There is blood on all their hands."

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