Oil Change International responds to Paris climate agreement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 12, 2015

Contact:
Steve Kretzmann, steve@priceofoil.org, +1-202-497-1033
Alex Doukas, alex@priceofoil.org, +1-202-817-0357
Hannah McKinnon, hannah@priceofoil.org, +49 (0) 173 38 32 344
David Turnbull, david@priceofoil.org, +1-202-316-3499

Oil Change International responds to Paris climate agreement

In response to the expected outcome of the COP21 United Nations climate negotiations in Paris, Oil Change International released the following statements:
“The world’s ‘leaders’ in Paris delivered exactly what was expected of them: not much. In Houston, the oil industry is surely more excited about potentially lifting the crude export ban in Washington than they are concerned by the text emerging from this year’s climate talks.

But the fossil fuel industry has less and less to celebrate. Paris showcased a strong and growing civil society, including clear demands to Stop Funding Fossils and Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground. The clear hypocrisy of funding the industry that is destroying the climate cannot withstand scrutiny for much longer.

Bit by bit, there are indications that the era of fossil fuels is coming to an end: the heroic work of the countries of the Climate Vulnerable Forum brought the discussion of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C to Paris. But rich countries continue to leave the poor behind. There is much work left to do.”

-Stephen Kretzmann, Executive Director, Oil Change International

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“Paris was never going to be the silver bullet to change the world or save the climate – it is the growing climate movement that is already making that happen. Everywhere you look, citizens, front line communities, Indigenous Peoples, business leaders, and politicians are standing up to Big Polluters and taking a clean, safe, and renewable energy future into their own hands.

The world is moving on from fossil fuels. The Paris Agreement reminds us that there are leaders and laggards no matter where you go, but the laggards are fighting a losing battle.”

-Hannah McKinnon, Senior Campaigner, Oil Change International

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“Rich countries have repeatedly promised to help poor countries adapt to the impacts of climate change and transition to renewable energy, but there’s almost no money on the table for the period after 2020 that this agreement is supposed to cover. It’s ugly hypocrisy for rich countries to cry that the cupboard is bare, while at the same time they hand out hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to big oil, gas and coal each year.

Next year, G20 leaders will need to agree to phase out the fossil fuel subsidies driving the climate crisis by 2020, since leaders didn’t have the backbone to do it in Paris.”

-Alex Doukas, Senior Campaigner, Oil Change International

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“The Paris climate talks present a lowest common denominator of global politics, not the aspirations of the global community. It’s the people on the streets who provide the real hope for addressing the climate crisis. People fighting for climate justice around the world are the ones who will solve this problem and they’re already making headway day by day.

This year, with wins over the Keystone XL pipeline and Arctic drilling, the climate movement has begun to show its true strength. It is by continuing these fights day in and day out, year in and year out, through the voice of a growing global movement that cannot and will not be silenced, that change will happen.”

-David Turnbull, Campaigns Director, Oil Change International