Press release - 4 September, 2002
Greenpeace activists climbed a bridge spanning oil pipes from the Sapref oil facility operated by Shell and BP.
On the final day of the Earth Summit, Greenpeace activists did
what governments have failed to do at the Johannesburg meeting and
took action to demand "Clean Energy Now" at a notorious oil
refinery in Durban.
Five activists gained access to a bridge spanning oil pipelines
from the plant at Bluff, on the outskirts of the city. Three
climbed the 30 metre bridge and heralded flags, which read "Clean
Energy Now".
"The Earth Summit has failed to take action against dirty energy
policies which are fuelling climate change," said Paul Horsman from
Greenpeace. "Big business and polluting governments like the US
have joined forces in Johannesburg once again to deny people the
right to clean and safe energy. Even now in the last few hours of
the conference they are also trying to undermine any attempts to
make corporations accountable for the devastation they bring not
just to the climate but also to local communities," Horsman
added.
The fossil fuel facility at Bluff is jointly operated by Shell
and BP and is notorious for oil leaks and toxic air emissions that
affect the nearby community of South Durban. Poorly maintained
pipes, run right through the middle of the local communities.
Neither company has accepted any responsibility for the poor health
of local people nor have they made sufficient attempts to clean up
the large scale pollution that has been allowed to continue for
forty years.
"The earth summit was on the brink of bringing corporations like
Shell and BP to task, by making them accountable for the damage
they do, "said Zeina Alhajj of Greenpeace. "But in the dying
moments of the conference even that hope has been being undermined.
Once again governments are caving in and allowing company profits
to dictate government policy. " said Alhajj.
Throughout the Earth Summit discussions governments have failed,
in the face of the fossil fuel and nuclear industry lobbies, to
agree targets for increasing the amount of clean sustainable energy
needed both to fight climate change and tackle the obscene levels
of poverty around the world. In addition, despite agreeing to
develop an intergovernmental framework to make corporations
accountable for their actions and pollution, the agreement was
undone in the dying hours of the Summit because of US opposition
and interference from big business.
Notes: The five activists are from Cameroon, United States, Hong Kong/China, Australia and Portugal. Briefing paper on Shell/BP refinery environmental impact also available.www.greenpeace.org/earthsummit