Hi John,
Last week tsunami-like floods destroyed huge parts of the city of Derna in Libya. The impacts of Storm Daniel have swept away entire families, and destroyed the homes and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people. The death toll currently stands at over 11,000 people, with fears it could rise much further in the coming days.
The extent of the devastation in Derna is due to a number of factors – but climate change is a major one. The science shows that rising global temperatures are “supercharging” rainfall during events like Storm Daniel, and increasing their intensity.(1) It is outrageous that people in the global south are bearing the brutal cost of this extreme weather, whilst the CEOs of the companies like BP and Shell, which are driving the climate disaster, just keep counting their millions.
As Libyan communities recover and grieve, we must take our anger and outrage to the streets. The Make Polluters Pay Action Day this Saturday is a chance to raise our voices to demand corporate polluters are made to pay for their climate-wrecking activities.
From Totnes and Cardiff, to Liverpool and York, activists will be taking action to demand that Rishi Sunak makes polluters pay up for climate loss and damage. Tactics will include:
- Staging street theatre and die-ins outside the branches of top polluting banks like HSBC in Nottingham
- Challenging their local MP, and handing her a petition in North Devon
- Holding stalls and handing out leaflets in Sheffield, Cambridge and other locations
There are currently 25 events happening around the country – all of these events are open to everyone. The more people join, the more powerful they’ll be. If you've not signed up to anything yet, there’s still plenty of time! Just check the interactive map for events near you here:
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If you can’t make it out on Saturday, you can still take action on the day. We’ll be asking our supporters around the country to write to their local MPs, and demand that they take action to make polluters pay.
This demand is more urgent than ever. COP28 begins in just over two months, and Rishi Sunak still hasn’t committed to a major UK contribution to a strong loss and damage fund.
And while the prime minister avoids making vital commitments to climate justice, this summer has been the hottest ever recorded.
The science is clear. Fossil fuels are fueling the climate crisis. The billions that CEOs at Shell, BP and other corporate polluters are counting are made from causing climate chaos.(2)
But there’s reason to hope. People all around the world are rising up and demanding that their lives and futures are prioritised over corporate profits. From southern Pakistan to New York, last weekend hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to demand an end to fossil fuels globally. And last month, Ecuadorian people voted decisively against oil exploration in the country’s Amazon rainforest in a referendum.(3)
This was a win against their government, but also the interests of oil giants who are driving climate disaster. It shows us that bold and determined movements can make a huge impact.
We must take heart from Ecuador’s inspiring vote, and take to the streets in solidarity with communities in Libya, and across the global south. We must demand that polluters, whose actions are threatening entire communities, are made to pay for the loss and damage they have caused.
If you want to join us, then you can find events near you on the map.
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Remember you can email us with any questions, and keep an eye out for our digital action!
Thank you
Izzie McIntosh
Campaigner at Global Justice Now
Notes
- Expert Comment: Storm Daniel and Flooding in Libya, University of Reading, 12 September 2023
- REVEALED: Big Oil owes $8 trillion in climate damages, Global Justice Now, 9 November 2022
- The message from Ecuador is clear: people will vote to keep oil in the ground, Guardian, 24 August 2023
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And regular support from each of those members is what lets us plan out – and win – effective campaigns to challenge corporate greed.
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