Advocates To Challenge Fossil Fuel-Trump Alliance at CERAWeek Industry Conference

Houston, Texas – On Monday, March 10, as every major fossil fuel company and top energy officials from around the globe gather for CERAWeek, the industry’s largest annual conference, a coordinated international protest movement will launch demonstrations against what organizers call “the fossil fuel industry’s stranglehold on democracy.” #ResistCERAWeek activities will kick off with a “March for Future Generations” on Monday, March 10 at 11:30 AM and continue throughout the week [1]. For the first time this year, #ResistCERAWeek actions will be coordinated with protests in the E.U. against the International LNG Congress (LNGCon) in Amsterdam, which begins simultaneously with CERAWeek [2]. 

This year’s CERAWeek lineup reveals the deep – and deeply undemocratic – connections between the Trump administration and the fossil fuel industry, which spent $445 million to influence Trump and Congress during the last election cycle. Six CERAWeek speakers attended a private steak dinner at Mar-A-Lago where Trump asked for $1 billion in donations. 

Trump’s rewards to his fossil fuel donors include appointing industry executives to his Cabinet, such as former fracking CEO and CERAWeek opening plenary speaker Chris Wright, as well as aggressive promotion of U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) exports to the E.U. and Japan. Trump’s fossil fuel giveaways come at the expense of our climate and the health and safety of frontline communities, which are exposed to high levels of toxic oil and gas pollution. 

While oil and gas CEOs and Trump’s lackeys plot oil and gas expansion – which will end in  catastrophic climate change – communities harmed by fossil fuel pollution and climate disasters rally throughout the week to demand an end to new fossil fuel, petrochemical, and plastics projects and subsidies for these polluting industries. 

Statements:

Dominic Chacón, Houston Regional Coordinator at Texas Campaign for the Environment, says:  “A huge amount of fossil fuel infrastructure is here in Texas, and our communities are suffering the immediate consequences in the form of polluted air and water. We won’t stand idly by while those profiting from destroying our climate and communities congratulate each other.”

James Hiatt, a former fossil fuel industry worker and organizer with Better Bayou, says: “The participants at CERAWeek – fossil fuel companies and politicians – are not only driving the climate crisis but are causing premature death and suffering in our communities. These corporations, benefiting from over $7 trillion in global subsidies, prioritize exports over meeting domestic energy needs, which drives up costs for American families. Their actions are built on fraud, waste, and inefficiency, all while neglecting the health and well-being of the people they claim to serve. This ‘America Last’ policy ensures that profits for the few come at the expense of our children’s future, our communities’ health, and the long-term prosperity of our nation.”

Andy Gheorghiu, Transatlantic Coalition Coordinator, says:

“We in Europe know exactly what LNG exports from the US means for the Permian Basin and Gulf South. We know of the suffering, we know of the sacrifice zones and the structural human rights violations. We don’t want that. So we say together to those speaking at both CERAWeek and LNGCon. Enough is enough!”

Allie Rosenbluth, U.S. Campaign Manager, Oil Change International, says: 

“Want to know who’s to blame for the climate crisis? Look at the list of fossil fuel CEOs and their political enablers speaking at CERAWeek. With Trump back in the White House, the consequences of the fossil fuel industry’s hold over our democracy grow clearer each day. Our climate and communities can’t afford more giveaways to his fossil fuel donors. We need serious investment in a just transition and a phaseout of fossil fuels to create good jobs, lower energy bills for families, and address the climate crisis before it’s too late.”

Ayumi Fukakusa, Deputy Director, Friends of the Earth Japan, says: 

“If Japanese leaders are truly concerned about Japan’s energy security, they should refrain from signing any new deals for US LNG. Signing new long-term agreements for US LNG poses serious financial and reputational risks. Moreover, US LNG projects are violating the human rights of communities living in the Gulf South while worsening the climate crisis.”

Note to the editor:
[1] LOCATION: Root Square Park in downtown Houston, less than a 10-minute walk from the CERAWeek venue. The press conference will be livestreamed here: https://www.facebook.com/texasenvironment 

[2] Media opportunities: Spokespeople from Campaigners from Texas Campaign for the Environment, Oil Change International, and communities around the world impacted by the fossil fuel industry are available for interviews on:

• Fossil fuel industry impacts on Gulf South communities and frontline communities across the world. 
• US and international resistance to fossil fuel expansion.
• International LNG landscape, including the EU and Japan’s plans to increase investment and export of US LNG. 
• Proposals to build or expand fossil fuel projects, including the De La Express, Texas LNG, and Freeport LNG
• Research on individual fossil fuel companies including Cherniere, Chevron, and Enbridge
• Connections between the Trump administration and the fossil fuel industry