Every economic sector has a heavy climate footprint. The energy sector is the largest culprit, yet fossil fuel companies are still recklessly planning mega projects – like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline[2] or the Mozambique LNG projects[3] – bound to set off disastrous ‘carbon bombs’.[4] Agribusiness is sourcing products like meat from farms on thousands of hectares of deforested land in the Amazon, and pumping billions of gallons of methane, a potent greenhouse gas emission, into the atmosphere through animal farming. The global fashion industry produces up to 10% of global carbon emissions.[5] And from aviation, to plastic production to raw materials mining, all sectors are contributing to the crisis.
The resulting global warming is already taking a devastating toll on people and planet. Last summer, Europeans experienced the heaviest floods and most intense heat waves in decades. However, the heaviest toll is paid by people in the Global South. This year Pakistan was hit by the worst floods in over 100 years, leaving millions in need of humanitarian assistance.[6]
People across the world have risen up to demand climate action. The global climate movement is made up of hundreds of thousands of groups and millions of people. Young people everywhere are taking to the streets to demand governments stop ignoring the multiple unfolding crises, and for corporations to stop destroying the planet. This groundswell is becoming impossible to ignore.
Companies have responded to these demands by making lofty public commitments to align with the Paris Agreement through transition plans and ‘net zero pledges’. But these are mostly empty promises and greenwashing.[7] Net-zero pledges are heavily reliant on offsetting emissions through practices such as forest restoration or carbon capture technologies, despite clear evidence that neither of these are reliable.[8] It is clear that companies are determined to postpone real climate action for as long as possible.
As the harmful impacts caused by climate change mount, we are also seeing an increase in human rights lawsuits. Affected people are mobilising to demand compensation and remedy, for example a landmark lawsuit brought by a Peruvian farmer against German energy company RWE to demand compensation for flood risks caused by glacial melting[9]. Companies are also being challenged in court for greenwashing and weak climate plans. In 2021, a landmark ruling in the Netherlands recognised the wholesale inadequacy of Shell’s voluntary climate plan and ordered them to reduce their emissions by 45% by 2030[10]. There are currently two lawsuits against TotalEnergies for weak climate transitions plans[11] and misleading claims about fossil gas and biofuels[12].
The failure of voluntary commitments and these legal trends show that the more reliable route to reducing emissions from business is to make companies legally accountable for their climate plans and impacts.
At the EU level, a law is being negotiated that could hold companies accountable for human rights abuses and environmental damage in their global value chains. Making sure it makes companies accountable for their climate impacts and for reducing their emissions is essential if we have any hope of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees. But right now, the proposal for a law fails to enforce any meaningful climate obligations on companies.
We the undersigned activists and groups dedicated to fighting climate change, demand a strong EU law that is fit to tackle the climate crisis and deliver climate justice. A law that makes companies legally accountable for their:
All companies must have a credible plan to align with the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. A plan that:
The latest climate science warns that unless we have massive emissions cuts in the next decade, the 1.5. degree goal may soon be out of reach. The conclusion is clear – we need to tackle the emissions coming from business today. To ease climate disasters and preserve a liveable future, we demand the EU and member states act now to enforce rules on business.
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/proposal-directive-corporate-sustainable-due-diligence-and-annex_en
[2] https://www.stopeacop.net/
[3] https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/totalenergies-aims-restart-20-billion-mozambique-lng-project-2022-2022-01-31/
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2022/may/11/fossil-fuel-carbon-bombs-climate-breakdown-oil-gas
[5] https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/09/23/costo-moda-medio-ambiente
[6] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/world/asia/pakistan-floods.html
[7] NewClimate Institute, Net Zero Stocktake 2022:
https://newclimate.org/resources/publications/net-zero-stocktake-2022
[8] Link ClientEarth new brief Legal Risks of Offsetting
[9] https://www.dw.com/en/peruvian-farmer-takes-on-german-energy-giant-rwe/a-51546216
[10] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/business/royal-dutch-shell-climate-change.html
[11] https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/paris-and-new-york-join-climate-litigation-against-totalenergies/
[12] https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/environmental-groups-sue-totalenergies-over-climate-marketing-claims-2022-03-03/
[13] https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/how-close-are-we-passing-15-degrees-celsius-global-warming-2022-11-14/
ACT Alliance EU
ActionAid EU
AITEC
AK EUROPA
Alofa Tuvalu
Amigos de la Tierra España
Amis de la Terre France
Amnesty International
Amnesty International Slovenija
Andrew Lees Trust
ARTICLE 19
Association Survie
Attac France
Baltic Environmental Forum Germany
Banana Link
Be Slavery Free
Birdlife Estonia
BLOOM
Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. (FoE Germany)
BUNDjugend
Bürgerinitiative
CADTM France
CAN Europe
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CNCD-11.11.11
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CIDSE
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Colectivo Agroecológico Zurquí
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Earthsight
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ECCHR
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Youth and Environment Europe
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350.org Europe
Camille Etienne
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Luisa Neubauer
Anuna de Wever
Boon Breyne, climate justice activist at Youth for Climate Belgium
Nyombi Morris, activist at Fridays For Future Uganda
Michael Spiekermann, spokesperson of Fridays For Future Austria
Alice Picard, co-spokesperson of Attac France
Vincent Gay, member of the chair of Attac France
Maxime Combes, economist
Alexander Schilling, citizen
Anna Beck, citizen
Antonin, activist at XR France
buggenhout, activist at XR Belgium
Cass Hebron, The Green Fix
Christoph Hartmann, pastor
Claire, activist at XR France
Diego Pedraza Lahoz, policy analyst
Dorno, activist at XR France
Dr. Tanja Zöllner, psychologist
Gisela Djelassi, citizen
Hendrix Valentine, activist at Youth for Climate Belgium
Jannis Eicker, PhD candidate Kassel University
Joachim David, activist at XR Belgium
Lena Wacker, education officer
Manuela Lanzinger, environmental consultant
Marion Frers, citizen
Mekki Djelassi citizen
Xeno, activist at Better.Planet.Online
Wintz, member of Internationale des Amis de la nature
Wim De Waegeneer, activist at XR Belgium
Werner Wilkens, member of Grannies for future Köln
Ulrike Lohr, member of Parents for Future Köln
Tony Bureau, citizen
Sr. Beate Krug sustainability officer
Simon Ruts, activist at Fridays for Future Antwerp
Severine Chance, citizen
Sabine Blankenstein, member of Grannies for future köln
Pros Staelens, citizen
Luise Fröhlich, member of Parents for Future Köln
Dorothee Holzapfel, pastor, member of Churches for Future
Charlotte Geiger, climate activist at Klimaentscheid Bayreuth
Sr. Beatrix Barth OSF, head of house at Kongregation der Dienerinnen der hl. Kindheit
Ivonne Jackelen, member Mar a Mar / El Camino de Costa Rica
Daniel Ostertag, team member Micha Deutschland, Lokalgruppe Stuttgart