Cut Fossil Fuels of Our Politics

Cut coal, gas and oil out of politics! / To tackle the climate emergency, and ensure that climate policy is conducted entirely in the public interest, we must cut fossil fuel interests out of our politics, similar to existing restrictions on the tobacco industry. We are joining Corporate Europe Observatory, Friends of the Earth Europe and Greenpeace EU and almost 200 other organisations worldwide to campaign for fossil free politics.

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Cut coal, gas and oil out of politics! /

To tackle the climate emergency, and ensure that climate policy is conducted entirely in the public interest, we must cut fossil fuel interests out of our politics, similar to existing restrictions on the tobacco industry.

We are joining Corporate Europe Observatory, Friends of the Earth Europe and Greenpeace EU and almost 200 other organisations worldwide to campaign for fossil free politics.

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Why fossil free politics?

We are facing a climate emergency. People are already feeling the impacts of climate chaos, with record storms, droughts, and fires – hitting the global South hardest.

More than two-thirds of man-made greenhouse gas emissions come from the fossil fuel industry.

To prevent global climate breakdown, the vast majority of these companies’ reserves of coal, gas and oil must stay in the ground. The fossil fuel industry’s core business rakes in billions in profits, while heating the planet and destroying communities.

For decades fossil fuel companies and their lobbyists have denied science, delayed, weakened, and sabotaged climate action – despite knowing that their business model is killing our future. This stops now.

The only way forward is to ensure that climate policy is made entirely in the public interest. There is a fundamental conflict between the industry’s interests and the public interest – between their core business and our need to keep global temperature rise below 1.5° C.

We need a fossil free politics before it’s too late.

How?

Similar to existing restrictions on tobacco industry lobbyists, we need a firewall that protects our democratic institutions and our political decision-making from fossil fuel industry interference: no more private lobby meetings, partnerships, or collaboration.

Our political institutions must champion fossil free politics – starting with the European Parliament and European Commission.

Our political institutions must:

1) Institute a firewall to end fossil fuel industry access to political decision-making: no lobby meetings; no seats in expert and advisory bodies; no role in public research bodies.

2) Address vested interests: no revolving door between public office and the fossil fuel industry; no industry side jobs or placements; no hiring of industry consultants.

3) End preferential treatment of the fossil fuel industry: no involvement in climate negotiations; no place on government delegations to international negotiations or trade missions; no more subsidies or incentives.

4) Reject partnerships with the fossil fuel industry: no sponsorships or partnerships; no sharing platforms with industry representatives; no hosting or attending of industry events; no party or candidate donations.

 

Research on lobby spending of big 5 oil and gas in Brussels is here.