Oil giant targeted in bus shelters and streets across the country

A campaign against Austrian oil giant OMV has spread to bus shelters and streets across New Zealand.

Overnight, thousands of posters targeting the company appeared in city centres including Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

The posters depict environmental disasters with the message: ‘Climate emergency proudly brought to you by OMV.

The activity is being driven by Greenpeace in coalition with a network of local environmental groups and volunteers, and is happening at the same time in over 25 cities around the world.

Greenpeace New Zealand senior campaigner, Steve Abel, says the postering is part of a global movement to challenge the world’s top climate polluters.

“The Earth isn’t dying, it’s being killed, and the companies killing it have brands, names and addresses. People everywhere are standing up and holding them to account,” he says.

“OMV is one of 100 companies that have caused over 70% of the world’s climate emissions and it’s here in New Zealand getting ready to drill for oil and gas off the coast of Taranaki and in the Great South Basin.”

Last week, Greenpeace climbers scaled the outside of the Majestic Centre, Wellington’s tallest building, to reach OMV’s offices on the 20th floor. The climb took 14 hours.

On reaching the oil giant’s offices, the climbers issued an invitation for people to attend a peaceful protest at the Majestic Centre on August 14 to serve OMV with an eviction notice signed by almost 30,000 New Zealanders.

Abel says OMV is the last major international oil company in New Zealand and it can expect continued resistance.

“Climate disasters have already cost countless lives, as extreme storms, floods, droughts, and fires become stronger and more frequent,” he says.

“Meanwhile oil companies have spent billions of dollars over the past 30 years on misleading the public, funding junk science, and lobbying hard to block climate action.

“This international day of creative protest is showing that communities everywhere are holding the oil industry accountable as the true villain of the climate crisis.”

ENDS

Photo and video here:
https://greenpeace.box.com/s/4x78jbi4e84mle41hghgugqmx6i3mv1r