ONS2022 TRUST: The fossil fuel industry cannot be trusted as long as they are investing in new oil and gas.

Open letter to the fossil fuel industry and their financiers

Oslo, 29 August 2022

Today, NGOs from all over the world are sending a message to the streets of Stavanger, the oil capital of Norway, where 65,000 people from the oil and gas industry will attend the oil conference ONS between August 29 and 1 September. The name of this year’s conference is ‘TRUST’. 

We want to make the fossil fuel industry understand that the world is watching what they are doing. The participants at ONS have to realize that they are, in fact, a major part of the problem. The current war in Ukraine does not justify aggravating the climate crisis by locking in emissions from new oil and gas investments. A renewable transition is more urgent than ever. We urge oil and gas executives to use their record profits to ensure a green and just transition and avoid climate disaster.

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has urged people everywhere to send a clear message to the fossil fuel industry and their financiers. We want to amplify his very clear message and we urge ONS to listen - because the future of our planet is at stake:

“The combined profits of the largest energy companies in the first quarter of this year are close to $100 billion. The grotesque greed of the fossil fuel industry and their financiers is punishing the poorest and most vulnerable people, while destroying our only home- the planet,” said Guterres early August this year.

Dear ONS: leave oil and gas in the ground for the benefit of the planet and its people. As Guterres says, “The climate crisis is our number one emergency, and renewables are the peace plan of the twenty-first century.”

With hopes for a just and green transition, 

Signed: 

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Greenpeace

Naturvernforbundet (Friends of the Earth Norway)

Climate Action Network Canada

Centre for Citizens Conserving Environment & Management (CECIC-Uganda)

Les Amis de la Terre-Togo (Friends of the Earth Togo)

Food & Water Action Europe

Uplift

Youth Climate Save Canada

Deutsche Umwelthilfe / Environmental Action Germany

Équiterre

Sierra Club Canada Foundation

Foire ÉCOSPHÈRE

Nature Québec

Mouvement écocitoyen UNEplanète

Grandmothers Act to Save the Planet - GASP

The Greens Movement of Georgia (Friends of the Earth Georgia)

Ontario Clean Air Alliance

ECORE

Action Environnement Basses-Laurentides

Action Climat Outaouais

Both ENDS (the Netherlands)

Amigu di Tera Curaçao (Friends of the Earth Curaçao)

Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (Friends of the Earth Philippines)

Oil Change International

Amal - Organization for Relief & Development

Friends of the Earth Europe

Fondation Rivières

RVHQ - Regroupement vigilance hydrocarbures Québec

Natur og Ungdom (Young Friends of the Earth Norway)

Leave it in the Ground Initiative (LINGO, Germany)

Réseau québécois des groupes écologistes - Québec, Canada

Maan ystävät (Friends of the Earth Finland)

Stand.earth

Conseil Central du Montréal Métropolitain-CSN

Pacific Islands Council of Qld

Environmental Defence

Greater Victoria Climate Hub

North Island Climate Hub

Transition écologique La Pêche Coalition for a Green New Deal

Fast For the Climate

Miljøagentene - Eco-Agents

Changemaker

Baltic Pipe Nejtak!

Climate Action Network Latin America (CANLA)

Green 13

Mobilisation environnement Ahuntsic-Cartierville (MEAC)

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)

Friends of The Earth Bangladesh.