The 12 day stand-off between Greenpeace and BP over the
company’s North Sea oil rig has been brought to a close with a
series of protests targeting the company in Europe and the
US.
Activists served a ‘People’s Climate Injunctions’ to BP
Headquarters in London and Aberdeen calling on BP and the
industry to “immediately end the search for new fossil fuels and
start a rapid and just transition to become 100% renewable energy
companies”. At the same time the Greenpeace ship the Arctic
Sunrise read the injunction directly to the BP oil rig over
radio.
Failure to comply with the injunction holds BP and the
industry “further responsible for the devastating consequences”
felt by the planet and those on the front line of the
climate emergency.
In Germany activists protested outside BP’s European
headquarters displaying a banner reading “BP Destroys The
Climate”. The activists also presented the company with a copy of
the injunction. In the US, Austria and all over the UK, activists
picketed BP petrol stations. The US activists displayed a banner
with the message “Climate Emergency”.
The coordinated protests brings to an end 12 days in which
Greenpeace thwarted BP’s attempts to install a new oil rig in the
North Sea. A series of legal injunctions were brought against
Greenpeace, the climbers and the Arctic Sunrise by BP and its rig
contractor Transocean in an attempt to end the
protest.
Despite this for five days three sets of Greenpeace UK
climbers prevented BP’s rig from leaving the Cromarty Firth in
Scotland. This was followed by a further stand off in the North
Sea between the rig and the Greenpeace International ship, the
Arctic Sunrise, which prevented the rig from reaching the drill
site including through a Greenpeace International swimmer
blocking the rigs path.
Scientists have been clear that we already have more oil
and gas than we can safely burn under the Paris climate agreement
if we want to limit catastrophic climate change. Yet BP maintains
its desire to both explore for more oil and expand its oil and
gas production.
Greenpeace is demanding that BP immediately end drilling
new wells and switch to only investing in renewable energy. If BP
does not do that, Greenpeace say, it should wind down its
operations, return cash to investors and go out of
business.
John Sauven, Executive Director at Greenpeace UK
said:
“For the past 12 days we’ve seen what one Greenpeaceship and
a handful of dedicated activists can achieve in the face of a
giant climate-wrecking company. But they weren’t alone. There’s a
movement of millions calling on companies like BP to clean up
their act and truly address the climate emergency.”
