April 1, 2021

International guerrilla ad campaign targets fossil gas industry deception

Europe – More than a dozen European cities woke up today to over 100 guerrilla advertisements in bus-stop shelters shaming companies for their misleading marketing and lobbying around fossil gas. These installations bring the fossil gas industry narrative directly into the line of fire as there is no such thing as ‘clean gas’. The posters show advertisements and slogans from well-known companies that have been tweaked by young activists in order to expose the scale of the fossil gas industry misinformation campaign that tries to delude the public with its claims of commitment to a low carbon future.

“With this, we want everyone to learn about the veracious misinformation efforts by fossil gas lobby groups such as GasforClimate2050, Eurogas, GasNaturally and Entsog so that people are aware that this industry is literally selling methane, a supercharged greenhouse gas, and branding it as a climate solution. They’re treating the public like fools, thinking we won’t see through their slick marketing. Well, they’re wrong. Happy April Fool’s.” – Camille Tivists, one of the local activists.

The campaign has been coordinated by grassroots ‘gastivists’ from nine different countries and is taking place in cities such as Amiens, Amsterdam, Bologna, Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Ghent, Hague, Kiel, Limerick, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Turin, Rome and Wageningen.

There are overwhelming scientific reasons to stop considering fossil gas as an option for our energy needs. Fossil gas is a climate-polluting fuel that in Europe is already responsible for more CO2 emissions than coal. The production, transport and use of fossil gas is inevitably linked to dangerous and significantly underreported emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that is responsible for nearly 25% of global heating observed today and hence makes tackling fossil gas an important element of any actions that address the climate emergency.

“Across Europe and the world, the fossil gas industry is spending millions of Euros peddling the idea that ‘natural gas’ is a clean, green, energy transition and, unfortunately, politicians, decision makers and citizens are falling for this greenwash. But it’s a dangerous fossil fuel, as “natural” as coal or crude oil, and just as bad for our climate.” – Kevin Buckland of the Gastivists Collective.

European banks and corporations are increasingly making vague promises to curb their climate impact at home, but continue to support devastating fossil fuel extraction around the world.

“The European gas industry thinks that if they exploit countries out of sight, no one will notice. Communities and land in Mozambique have been violently and irreversibly devastated by the gas industry, for European companies and countries to buy cheap gas, continuing their extractivist practices to maintain economic power over the global South. Countries like Mozambique bear the hardest brunt of fossil fuel extraction by northern countries.” – Anabela Lemos, director of Justiça Ambiental/friends of the Earth Mozambique.

On 8th April 2021 the EU will be closing both its public consultation on the Projects of Common Interest, to which 74 fossil gas projects have applied. The time is now to commit to a 100% renewable energy system with energy efficiency at its heart. This is why activists today are coordinating a campaign to expose the lies of the fossil gas lobby working to prevent this.

“I support the activists who are exposing these industries’ lies. We must act for a fossil-free and lobby-free Europe. It is crucial for the future of our planet and essential for our democracy.” – Marie Toussaint, Member of the European Parliament.

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About the Gastivists Network: The Gastivists Network is a coordinated network of grassroots and frontline groups resisting fossil gas infrastructure, finance and political support across Europe and to prevent new fossil gas infrastructure lock-in. The network approaches gas as a lens to fight the many other structural injustices which are perpetuated by the fossil fuel and banking industry and their incompatibility with peace and democracy. For more information, see www.gastivists.org

More about the campaign and all multimedia content: 

Media contacts:

  • Victor Davies for overall project view, +34 633 652 978
  • Camille Sag, local activist taking action, +351 926 824 347
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