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Chemical Billionaire’s Bid for Fossil Fuel Empire: Ineos Corporate Profile

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For the past decade, the United States has pursued a failed experiment in natural gas extraction known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

The fossil fuel industry touts fracking as a revolutionary technology that could deliver huge volumes of cheap, clean energy. But the fracking boom has been an environmental catastrophe in the United States.

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The private and secretive chemical company Ineos has been leading the charge to bring this environmentally destructive method to the United Kingdom (UK) and mainland Europe.

However, the fracking “revolution” that Ineos promotes is a return to the past, where corporate executives profit from environmentally destructive extraction and the generation of dirty energy. In reality, fracked gas is incompatible with European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK) climate objectives, the Paris Agreement obligations and the need to act quickly to tackle climate change.

Find out more in, ‘Chemical Billionaire’s Bid for Fossil Fuel Empire: Ineos Corporate Profile.

Scotland Bans Fracking. The UK and U.S. Should as Well

Statement by Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Europe

Washington, D.C. and Brussels – “Today, Scotland’s government banned fracking, acknowledging what the science shows: if we want to address climate change, we have to start with cutting fossil fuel emissions.”

“Banning fracking is a necessary step towards beating the worst effects of climate chaos, and the UK and the U.S. should follow Scotland’s example. In the U.S., we already have the means to start moving off of fracking swiftly—the Off Fossil Fuels For a Better Future Act, which would mandate a just transition to 100 percent clean renewable energy by 2035, starting with 80 percent within the next 10 years.

“Giant energy company Ineos, which invested heavily in its Scottish facility at Grangemouth, fought hard against this ban, even threatening to explore legal action against the government if it passed. But people power prevailed, and it will continue to prevail. We can’t let companies like ExxonMobil and Ineos stop the inevitable march towards clean energy. Bold and swift policy change is our only hope for addressing our climate goals. We applaud the Scottish government for doing what’s right for people and the planet.”

Contact:

Frida Kieninger: +32 (0) 2893 1045 – [email protected]

European Parliament Votes on New Security of Gas Supply Regulation

Brussels, 12 September 2017 – Today, the European Parliament voted for a new regulation that provides a set of cross-border measures to deal with supply shortages, which includes the elimination of barriers for gas flow.

Food & Water Europe is disappointed that the final text of the regulation fails to see the bigger picture and does not contain a long-term view on how to tackle the problems around gas supply; specifically, it does not question the problems of Europe’s dependence on gas itself.

“The text barely mentions demand side measures crucial to reducing peak demand or energy efficiency measures capable of significantly reducing our gas use,” says Frida Kieninger, campaign officer at Food & Water Europe. “Considering the known impact of fossil fuels on climate change, it is crucial that investment in new fossil fuel infrastructure is limited as much as possible, if not completely ceased.”

With every 1% in gas demand reduction, the EU can decrease its import dependence by 2.6%. The European gas network is already prepared for a range of disruption scenarios, with only parts of South-Eastern Europe lacking supply security measures.

“Instead of focussing on new interconnections and expanding bi-directional capacity, the EU Parliament must open its eyes to real solutions and not implement a mere treatment of symptoms. Industry has been given a big role in assessing the needed measures to secure European gas supply, so it is not a big surprise that the construction of more gas infrastructure is seen as a main approach to enhance energy security. We clearly see an issue of conflict of interest here,” says Kieninger.

Europe does not need more pipelines, locking us into fossil gas with its devastating impact on the climate and the safety, health and environment of supply countries. All efforts need to be directed towards real, long-term solutions, including aggressive investment in distributed renewable energy generation and energy efficiency measures.

Contact:

Frida Kieninger, Food & Water Europe, Campaign Officer, Rue d’Edimbourg 26, Brussels 1050, Belgium, +32 487 24 99 05, fkieninger(at)fweurope.org

UK Court Injunction Won’t Stop Anti-Fracking Movement

Washington, D.C. and Brussels – On July 31, petrochemical giant Ineos Corporation won a High Court injunction intended to stifle protest against the company’s plans to frack sites in the UK.

In response, Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Europe Executive Director Wenonah Hauter issued the following statement:

“The public knows the dangers fracking poses to our clean air and water, and that’s why activists in England are taking bold action to protect their communities against these threats. Ineos would like to stifle this movement, and unfortunately this High Court injunction has given the company a potentially powerful tool to threaten those advocating for a healthy climate and a livable world. If Ineos thinks an interim court injunction will stop the movement to protect our water, climate and communities from fracking, they are in for a surprise.”

“The critical struggle to pull back from the climate precipice is too important to allow temporary setbacks like this court ruling to stop the anti-fracking movement. Fracked gas and all fossil fuels must be replaced with clean, renewable energy immediately if we’re going to secure a safe, livable future for coming generations.”

Advocacy Groups Food & Water Watch, Food & Water Europe Oppose Chemical Giant Ineos’ Plans to Frack England

Groups file comments against initial steps to drill and frack in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire

Brussels, Belgium – Food & Water Europe and Food & Water Watch filed formal comments today opposing plans by the international chemical company Ineos to begin the process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in England. To date, this highly harmful process of natural gas extraction has not taken hold in the country, but Ineos hopes to change that by drilling exploratory wells in both Harthill, South Yorkshire and Bramleymoor Lane, Derbyshire. The groups submitted comments on both proposals indicating that these planned drillings are the first steps in what would inevitably become a full-blown, highly invasive fracking operation in the region, destroying rural landscapes and threatening public health and safety in nearby communities. Any approval granted for initial exploration would lead to negative and irreversible effects on the globally-esteemed national treasure Sherwood Forest. The groups urged the respective local Councils to reject Ineos’ applications and protect their communities.

The comments submitted by the groups detail the widespread impacts of fracking in places around the world where the extreme oil and gas extraction system is deployed, including poor air quality, drinking and surface water contamination, and land alterations. In addition, they point out the particularly poor environmental and public safety record of Ineos. For example, in Grangemouth, Scotland, where Ineos operates a massive chemical plant, the company has breached health and safety regulations 34 times in the last four years alone. The facility has been officially condemned as “poor” for pollution levels for three years in a row, while experiencing more than 20 staff injured since the start of 2015.

“I don’t think there’s a clear, adequate degree of understanding here among local authorities regarding exactly what fracking would mean for this countryside,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Europe, who recently visited threatened communities in the UK. “I would advise any local authority who is considering going along with fracking to consider thoroughly the inevitable and irrevocable harm it would bring to this region. Once fracking is let in, it is here to stay.”

Fracking and related industrial activity is also a significant source of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. As long as government officials allow companies like Ineos to pursue continued fossil fuel development, we will never be saved from the impending climate crisis we now face. Instead of greenlighting irresponsible energy projects like the Ineos wells and prolonging our addiction to damaging fossil fuels, our officials should be pursuing renewable energy mandates.

Shale Gas Bramleymoor Lane Submission:
https://www.foodandwatereurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/FoodandwaterEuropeFWE-FWW_Ineos_ShaleGasBramleymoorLane_Submission.pdf

ShaleGasPlansHarthill_Submission:
https://www.foodandwatereurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/FoodandswaterEuropeFWE-FWW_Ineos_ShaleGasPlansHarthill_Submission.pdf

Contact:
Frida Kieninger, – +32 (0) 2893 1045 – [email protected]
Scott Edwards – +1 202.683.4969 – [email protected]

Trump Takes Advantage of Europe’s Fossil Fuel Dependence

Statement by Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Europe

Washington, D.C. and Brussels — “After President Trump’s speech last week promoting a dark and dystopian vision — U.S. fossil ‘energy dominance’ — it is no surprise that his visit to Poland centers on promoting U.S. exports of fracked gas. Beyond such bluster, reality tells a different story.

“U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are expensive. For the economics to work, U.S. production costs have to be low while prices in importing countries stay high. In India, a major importer of U.S. LNG is now finding itself at the mercy of contracts that locked in high prices for U.S. LNG, relative to other sources of gas. This is how energy dominance will play out for those at the receiving end.

“Consumers in LNG exporting countries are also getting pinched. In Australia, for example, “extreme” levels of LNG exports have caused economic disruptions. While the Industrial Energy Consumers of America’s call for a moratorium on LNG exports is prudent, Trump is not known for his prudence.

“The fracking industry dominates the Trump Administration, and it wants more pipelines to support more exports. The U.S. government is allowing pipeline companies to forcibly take land away from property owners through eminent domain – not to benefit the general public, but to increase the amounts of U.S. oil and gas brought to the surface and burned, and increase industry profits. In short, we are witnessing the transformation of the United States into a petrostate. Former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson is running the Department of State. Oil and gas cheerleaders in Rick Perry and Scott Pruitt at the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Most people accept the science of climate change and see through the dangerous, short-sighted and corrupt vision Trump and his cadre have for the world. People are beginning to see —in Europe and elsewhere — that economic security hinges on stopping climate pollution, and requires moving off fossil fuels. We can redefine and meet our energy needs using clean, renewable sources of power by organizing local campaigns and holding political leaders accountable. Together we can build a positive energy future by moving off fossil fuels.”

Contact:

Andy Gheorghiu, Food & Water Europe, Fracking Policy Advisor, +49 5631 50 69 507 (land), +49 160 20 30 974 (mobile), agheorghiu(at)fweurope.org

Darcey Rakestraw, 202-683-2467; [email protected]