Washington, DC – Today, Nordic bank Nordea, Norwegian private pension fund Storebrand, Norway’s public sector pension fund KLP, and Norwegian commercial bank DNB rejected allegations by Energy Transfer Partners that they divested from the Dakota Access pipeline project due to pressure from Greenpeace and other environmental groups. The investors said their decisions to divest from the DAPL and companies involved was a result of their own due diligence.
Last week, Trump’s go-to law firm filed a meritless lawsuit on behalf of Energy Transfer against Greenpeace and others in an attempt to silence legitimate advocacy work and free speech.
In response to today’s news, Greenpeace USA General Counsel Tom Wetterer said:
“This entire lawsuit is baseless, so it’s not surprising to hear these Nordic investors say that Energy Transfer Partners doesn’t have its facts straight. The investors have made clear that they did not divest from the pipeline due to any wrongful pressure from Greenpeace and other environmental groups. Hundreds of organizations and millions of individuals engaged in constitutionally-protected advocacy work in highlighting the valid environmental and human rights concerns posed by the Dakota Access pipeline. Any savvy financial institution could see that investing in the pipeline would pose ‘an unacceptable risk of contributing to serious or systematic human rights violations.’”
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Contact:
Perry Wheeler, Greenpeace Communications and Outreach Manager, P: 301-675-8766
