A family from Hoima Kigaga in Uganda, whose farming livelihood is threatened by a crude oil pipeline. Photo: Tom Laffay  

In Case You Missed It

Crude moves: Activists worldwide are challenging banks and financiers to stop new fossil fuel projects. Now their sights are on stopping South African and Japanese banks from funding a crude oil pipeline in East Africa.

It would run 1,443 kilometers through the Lake Victoria basin and threaten the climate, wildlife and livelihoods of people across Uganda and Tanzania.

So far, the banks have ignored opposition from local groups in both countries — but a strong public outcry could stop them before Uganda’s government makes the deal. Add your voice by signing the petition now, and check out the video at the end of this newsletter for more on this struggle.

Support Wet’suwet’en: In Canada, actions are escalating over the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern British Columbia. Days after the blockade of a key ferry during peak transit hours, Indigenous youth occupied the Ministry of Energy and Mining office on unceded Lekwungen Territory, leading to 12 arrests.

A January 10 rally in Smithers, British Columbia. Photo: Jason Franson, Canadian Press

Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs have been clear that the pipeline does not have their consent, and would devastate the climate and unceded Indigenous lands. Check out the supporter toolkit for ways to show solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en.


Strike WEF hikers on the road to Davos, in Switzerland. Photo: @AnnemarieBotzki on Twitter

World Economic Failure: In contrast to billionaires flying in on private jets, 1,200 climate activists hiked in to Davos through the cold for this year’s World Economic Forum with demands to end fossil fuel funding. They were just in time to hear Greta Thunberg’s scathing speech to global financial elites.

At the forum, business and political leaders were more vocal about the climate crisis than ever before. But it’s clear from their lack of response to our demands that we can’t trust them to solve the climate crisis they helped create. Read more

Turkey’s air: The Ministry of Environment stopped six coal-fired power plants from operating in Turkey, for failing to meet air quality and filtration standards. The stoppage might only be temporary, but the Right to Clean Air Platform will continue its campaign on air quality as part of the ongoing fight against coal. Read more

Campaigners in front of Vinh Tan coal complex in southeastern Vietnam. Photo: 350 Vietnam

HSBC win: The London-based bank has fully withdrawn from Vinh Tan 3 coal power station in Vietnam. Since 2018, campaigners have targeted HSBC for greenwashing its image while still funding new coal projects in Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. Read more

Inside Story

A tenured philosophy professor resigned after his university refused to divest from fossil fuels for the third time. “What it boiled down to, for me, was a matter of conscience,” said Gregory Mikkelson, formerly from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. More

Photo: Ainslie MacLellan, CBC

Has your university, bank, or city council divested yet? Check through the commitments list and if not, consider starting your own campaign or joining an existing one. There are plenty of resources to help.

One to Watch

Hear from local opponents to the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline in Uganda and Tanzania – and then share this video to let Standard Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation know that opposition to this pipeline is global.

That’s it for now – I’ll see you again in two weeks with more Fossil Free News from around the world.