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A poem by Nnimmo Bassey.

We stand with the people rising up in Minneapolis, across the United States, and around the world in demanding justice and fundamental change in the way our society, our governments, and our institutions operate. Black Lives Matter.

A letter from leading businesses, scientists and activists demands “bold, not incremental, action" is required from the International Energy Agency on climate change. Hopefully, Dr. Birol and the IEA are listening. For all our futures may depend on their report next month.

As governments begin to unveil trillions of dollars in recovery support and stimulus, now is the time to break old habits – such as the USD 77 Billion in public money that the G20 is still spending annually to finance oil, gas, and coal projects.

Exxon, which has been bruised, battered and bloodied by a catastrophic collapse in the oil price, and is haemorrhaging money, wants us all to drive over a climate cliff too. It is reckless corporate behaviour, which the executives must know will cost lives.

With the health and livelihoods of billions at risk from COVID-19, governments around the world are preparing historic levels of stimulus finance. Building a Just Recovery that avoids the worst of climate change means overhauling our public finance institutions fast.

Spain’s supply-side measures are an important signal that climate leadership needs to be defined by a willingness to address the root causes of fossil fuel lock-in.

Oil Change is producing weekly news and resources updates on the fight against oil and gas as part of our response to the COVID-19 crisis, as a supplement to the monthly OilWire editions we produce with the Global Gas & Oil Network.

The current crisis is a clear warning sign that, if governments leave the “when” and “how” of the end of oil and gas up to tumultuous markets, the outcome will not be good for either people or the planet.

As I write, the strongest storm ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal has just made landfall in India and Bangladesh.