Activists Respond Globally to Climate Report With Actions Targeting Fossil Fuel Finance

By Jessel Thomas First Posted: Mar 01, 2022 11:53 AM EST

On February 28, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a seminal report presenting the most comprehensive scientific overview to date of the climate impacts that communities around the world are suffering, due to the ongoing exploitation of fossil fuels.

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(Photo : 350.org)

May Boeve, Executive Director of 350.org, said: "This IPCC report proves the cause of the problem; fossil fuels did this. But there is also good news, we know precisely how to reclaim our futures from the fossil fuel industry: by pushing financial institutions to cut off funding, and closing the doors for Big Oil. Now is the time to support community-led solutions that are sprouting up the world over."

The IPCC's findings, signed off by 195 governments, will show that the most marginalized and vulnerable people are already being hit hardest by a range of devastating climate impacts from wildfires to flooding.

In response, 350.org and climate activists around the world are taking action to reclaim their future by launching a series of offline and online actions to keep fossil fuels in the ground and build a sustainable future for all.

Climate Actions

Climate actions begin on February 27 and run until March 25 with a global climate strike organized by Fridays for Future. These actions will include*:

Indonesia: campaigners will paint a mural outside of Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) with the message #FossilFuelsDidThis and images of climate impacts caused by BNI financing of Fossil Fuel projects
Africa: across many African countries activists will hold actions to highlight the need for urgency on adaptation and mitigation against climate change. Key targeted actions will include governments, financial institutions and the fossil fuel industry, and will call for a just transition away from fossil fuels.
Brazil: students and environmental activists will challenge the fossil fuel lobby by marching to demand climate action in the capital city of the state that is in the heart of the country's coal extraction region.
Pacific: Pacific Climate Warriors are building "Solar TekPaks", providing emergency energy to communities across the region.
Germany: climate activists will stage actions targeting Deutsche Bank, putting a spotlight on the bank's financing of fossil fuel projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, and 'presenting' the bank with the IPCC report.
France: there will be a march for Climate Justice with Ugandan campaigners targeting TotalEnergies and their support for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
Canada: a Day of Action for a Just Transition Act will highlight the urgent need for this Act as first pledged by Justin Trudeau three years ago, to support workers as we accelerate the shift to away from fossil fuels.
U.S.: Online social media actions using hashtag #fossilfuelsdidthis.
Online:
Launch of the International People's platform for Climate Justice (IPCJ) - a space to gather and highlight stories of resistance and people powered solutions in the face of climate impacts (launching 2nd of March).
Series of webinars to build and strengthen the movement targeting Deutsche Bank and its continued financing of destructive fossil fuel projects around the world, like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
Online actions to build power for the cross-regional climate coalition tackling TotalEnergies and its support for fossil fuel projects like fracking in Vaca Muerta (Argentina) and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.

Across the Globe 350.org is helping to build a movement to tackle dirty fossil fuel financiers like Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, Mitsubishi UFG, or Standard Chartered that continue to fund projects like the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline and fracking in Vaca Muerta, Argentina.