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Greenpeace alters Total billboards in Edmonton to be more honest
09 October 2009
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Greenpeace takes the Stop the Tar Sands campaign to Scandinavia to tackle Statoil
15 May 2009
Andrew Nikiforuk interviewed by TV2 Norway outside Ministry of Energy .after meeting energy officials.
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Right from the start we’ve been enjoying great media attention and some success with major investors in tar sands development.
Teamed up
Greenpeace Canada has teamed up with Greenpeace Nordic for the battle in Scandinavia.
The focus is StatoilHydro. We are pressuring the company to pullout of its investments in the tar sands. We have meetings, media briefings, and events in Norway, Sweden and Denmark in the lead-up to the company’s AGM in Stavanger, Norway on May 19th. As a stakeholder, Greenpeace has put forward a motion that if adopted by shareholders would have the company withdraw from its tar sands investments.
Statoil
Statoil is the largest corporation in Scandinavia and a major player in the Alberta tar sands.
Statoil’s biggest project over the next decade is the tar sands. The company has invested heavily in the tar sands even though it claims to be committed to renewable energy.
Success with Statoil Investors
Five major investors have been putting pressure on Statoil to withdraw from the tar sands.
Statoil AGM
On May 19th, investors at the AGM will be able to vote on the motion presented by Greenpeace that calls on the company to get out of the tar sands. The Norwegian environment minister is applauding the “shareholder rebellion” as an example of how investors should react to the climate crisis.
Greenpeace Canada delegation:
Our delegation of four is making things happen in Scandinavia:
Dr. O’Connor and the community he served are profiled in Downstream, a film by Academy Award nominated director Leslie Iwerks that tells the story of the impact of the tar sands. The film was screened in Norway to a passionate crowd at a documentary film house and was followed by a dynamic question and answer period.
Media and other Interest in Norway
Quotes from the tour:
“The Norwegian public has a right to know what their publicly-owned energy company is invested in,” said Nikiforuk. “The tar sands are out of control and by 2020, the tar sands project will be producing more CO2 emissions than two nations the size of Norway.”
“You can’t be a leader in renewables and pretend to be a green corporation when you’re invested in the dirtiest oil on the planet,” said Martin Norman, Greenpeace Nordic energy campaigner. “The message is clear: dirty oil and renewables don’t mix.”
Read our news releases here
Teamed up
Greenpeace Canada has teamed up with Greenpeace Nordic for the battle in Scandinavia.
The focus is StatoilHydro. We are pressuring the company to pullout of its investments in the tar sands. We have meetings, media briefings, and events in Norway, Sweden and Denmark in the lead-up to the company’s AGM in Stavanger, Norway on May 19th. As a stakeholder, Greenpeace has put forward a motion that if adopted by shareholders would have the company withdraw from its tar sands investments.
Statoil
Statoil is the largest corporation in Scandinavia and a major player in the Alberta tar sands.
Statoil’s biggest project over the next decade is the tar sands. The company has invested heavily in the tar sands even though it claims to be committed to renewable energy.
Success with Statoil Investors
Five major investors have been putting pressure on Statoil to withdraw from the tar sands.
- Danske Bank has expressed its opposition to the contentious project;
- DnBNOR, Norway’s largest bank has held meetings to discuss whether continued involvement in the Alberta tar sands is a sound investment;
- Folksam, a Swedish insurance company, KPA, a Swedish pension fund, have voted in favour of a motion by Greenpeace calling on Statoil to withdraw from the tar sands.
- The 7th AP fund, Sweden’s largest pension fund, announced on May 14 that it too will support Greenpeace’s motion at the AGM. The company owns millions of shares in StatoilHydro.
Statoil AGM
On May 19th, investors at the AGM will be able to vote on the motion presented by Greenpeace that calls on the company to get out of the tar sands. The Norwegian environment minister is applauding the “shareholder rebellion” as an example of how investors should react to the climate crisis.
Greenpeace Canada delegation:
Our delegation of four is making things happen in Scandinavia:
- Dr. John O’Connor, who has gained international fame for blowing the whistle on extremely elevated numbers of rare cancers and auto-immune diseases plaguing Fort Chipewyan, a community downstream from tar sands development;
- Andrew Nikiforuk, well-known journalist and author of Tar Sands Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent which dispels the myths of tar sands development;
- Melina Laboucan-Massimo, from Greenpeace and the Lubicon First Nation. She will provide information on how the runaway pace of tar sands development is displacing her community and destroying the traditional way of life of many First Nations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C; and
- Jessica Wilson, communications officer for Greenpeace in Vancouver.
Dr. O’Connor and the community he served are profiled in Downstream, a film by Academy Award nominated director Leslie Iwerks that tells the story of the impact of the tar sands. The film was screened in Norway to a passionate crowd at a documentary film house and was followed by a dynamic question and answer period.
Media and other Interest in Norway
- The Alberta tar sands has dominated headlines and television news since Greenpeace started the tour in Oslo May 11;
- Norway’s largest business newspaper has run a two-page story on our delegation, as well as a full-page profile on Nikiforuk;
- National and international media attended our news conference on May 13;
- We’ve met with the Norwegian deputy minister of petroleum and energy, and with the opposition party Christian Democrats;
- Melina, Dr. O’Connor and Andrew spoke to media, government and industry at a film screening;
- Representatives from Sweden’s most prominent ethical investment groups heard presentations by our delegates and were astounded by what they heard. “Why is this news to us?” asked one concerned investor. Many expressed deep concern.
Quotes from the tour:
“The Norwegian public has a right to know what their publicly-owned energy company is invested in,” said Nikiforuk. “The tar sands are out of control and by 2020, the tar sands project will be producing more CO2 emissions than two nations the size of Norway.”
“You can’t be a leader in renewables and pretend to be a green corporation when you’re invested in the dirtiest oil on the planet,” said Martin Norman, Greenpeace Nordic energy campaigner. “The message is clear: dirty oil and renewables don’t mix.”
Read our news releases here
