A $660 million verdict is not enough to silence our movement
On March 19th, a jury in North Dakota delivered the verdict in Energy Transfer’s meritless lawsuit against Greenpeace entities in the US and Greenpeace International. The jury found the Greenpeace entities liable for more than $660 million USD in damages.
Energy Transfer, a multi-billion dollar oil and gas company led by a Trump donor, is falsely claiming that Greenpeace orchestrated the Indigenous-led protests against its Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016-2017.
To give a sense of scale, $660 million USD is more than double the entire operating budget of Greenpeace Canada for our entire 54 year history. By contrast, it’s equal to about 4% of Energy Transfer’s 2024 earnings.
The impact of this verdict would go far beyond Greenpeace or the environmental movement alone. Marty Garbus, an independent trial monitor, said: “This is one of the most important cases in American history. The law that can come down in this case can affect any demonstration, religious or political.” This meritless lawsuit was designed to make people afraid to participate in protests, for fear of being sued. We cannot let that happen – especially with all that’s happening in the world today. We need to speak out.
Energy Transfer’s Connection with Trump
Kelcy Warren, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Energy Transfer, has stated that those opposing his pipelines should be “removed from the gene pool”. He has also made substantial contributions to Donald Trump, having donated $5 million to the Make America Great Again super PAC in 2024. In fact, Trump even owned shares in Energy Transfer Partners worth between $500,000 and $1 million, according to his 2015 financial disclosure filing. Within days of his 2017 inauguration, Trump signed an executive order clearing the way for the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
What’s next for Greenpeace?
There is still hope. This case will be appealed and Greenpeace International has launched a lawsuit against the company in the Netherlands to counteract this abusive lawsuit in the US.
What does Energy Transfer’s lawsuit mean for Greenpeace Canada?
Here in Canada, we’re facing additional threats of our own: Trump trying to make Canada the 51st state, and Pierre Poilievre running for Prime Minister. Poilievre’s anti-climate agenda echoes Trump’s; he wants to fastrack major oil and gas projects, and eliminate environmental protection policies.
Imagine a world in which Trump and Poilievre are in power and there is no Greenpeace USA. A world in which the precedent set by this devastating trial outcome emboldens big polluters to sue all those who dare to stand up to them — in the USA, in Canada, and beyond. A world in which ordinary people are afraid to attend protests, for fear of the repercussions. We cannot let this happen.
We have to show companies like Energy Transfer that we will not be silenced — and one of the best ways to do that is to donate. They might have vast resources on their side, but we have an even greater power: you and millions of supporters worldwide. We can’t do it without you.
By coming together to take action we can create a better future for all of us — but it will take all of us to win.
