Over 5,000 people have now signed the petition demanding that East Sussex County Council (ESCC) stops investing in fossil fuels and that it publicly supports a proper permanent windfall tax on Big Oil.
That’s enough signatures to force ESCC to debate and vote on these issues at its May meeting!
Please join the petition hand-in & photo call @ County Hall on Tuesday 21 March.
Meet 8.45am outside Lewes station. Bag-piper and giant oil barrel provided!
What they say:
‘Our world is addicted to fossil fuels. It’s time for an intervention. We need to hold fossil fuel companies and their enablers to account. That includes the banks, private equity, asset managers and other financial institutions that continue to invest and underwrite carbon pollution. And it includes the massive public relations machine raking in billions to shield the fossil fuel industry from scrutiny. Just as they did for the tobacco industry decades before, lobbyists and spin doctors have spewed harmful misinformation … it is high time to put fossil fuel producers, investors and enablers on notice. Polluters must pay. Today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies. Those funds should be re-directed in two ways: to countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis; and to people struggling with rising food and energy prices … Lift your climate ambition. Listen to your people’s calls for change.’ – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, 20 September 2022 (emphases added)
‘The loophole [in the current “windfall tax” on companies like Shell] amounts to us effectively giving £11 billion to oil and gas companies … enough to make sure that every NHS worker and every teacher in the UK gets an inflation matching pay rise. So if the UK government is looking fo rmoney it knows exactly here to find it.’ – climate lawyer Tessa Khan (emphasis added)
“It’s crazy that our banks and our pensions are investing in fossil fuel, when these are the very things that are jeopardising the future that we are saving for.” – David Attenborough
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