June 2024 was the hottest on record: Greenpeace calls for making polluters pay the mounting bill for extreme weather

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Reacting to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service that June 2024 was the hottest June on record, which makes it the 13th consecutive month for which the global average temperature reached a record.

Ian Duff, Head of Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign said:

“Survivors of extreme weather over the last month are in the millions. From China and India to Greece and Italy, from Saudi Arabia to Jamaica and the US, floods, fires, and heat waves have shattered homes, claimed lives and hurt people’s health, costing the world over USD 41 billion in damages in the first months of the year, according to a recent Christian Aid report. This is happening while Big Oil is making huge profits while people are suffering – reportedly over USD 2.8 billion every day for the past 50 years.

“Yet, climate change’s perpetrators are but a few. A handful of international oil and gas companies are chiefly responsible for fuelling extreme weather events. Not only did they deny climate science, they actively slowed down the solutions and now the expansion plans by Big Oil’s executives are a reckless assault on our planet.

“Greenpeace is campaigning to finally push governments to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for the loss and damage it creates, while it is raking up trillions in profits. Big Oil might have bought the media, they might have bought politicians – but our future and our heritage are not for sale. Through legislation, litigation and nonviolent action, we join youth groups, senior citizens, Indigenous Peoples and many others to restore justice and secure a stable climate.”

Avinash Kumar Chanchal, Campaign Manager, Greenpeace South Asia, said:

“Our communities are already bearing the worst consequences of heatwaves, including health risks, deaths and livelihood crises, especially among the most vulnerable. Marginalised groups, including women, children, senior citizens, low-income communities, labourers and outdoor workers, suffer the most. These people often do not have the money or resources to cope with such a climate disaster.

“We have attribution science now that is already linking extreme weather events to fossil fuel induced climate change. The fossil fuel industry is causing widespread and irreversible loss and damage by continuing its operations while ignoring climate impacts.

“We must hold these historically responsible polluting corporations with headquarters in high-income countries accountable. We demand that they set clear targets and timelines to pay for the damage they have caused while ensuring a time-bound, just energy transition. This will ensure adequate resources for the most vulnerable communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change and build resilience.”

Kenzie Azmi, Campaign Lead for Stop Drilling, Start Paying at Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa, said:

“From water scarcity in Algeria to droughts in Iraq, and electricity and water cuts in several countries. Under an unfolding genocide, Palestinians in Gaza are suffering from heat strokes, dehydration, and a heightened risk of disease. Additionally, Sudanese refugees and Hajj pilgrims faced extreme heat fatalities. This multifaceted crisis highlights the urgent need for climate action and accountability from international oil companies. The repercussions of extreme heat in our region are comprehensive and will intensify in severity and duration, eventually becoming the new normal.

“Worse yet is the realisation that marginalised communities, already battling social injustices, are most affected by climate injustice. All while major international oil companies and their host countries, responsible for a major share of historical global emissions and thus the crisis we face today, continue to reap profits and avoid accountability instead of taking serious actions to reduce emissions and protect the environment and our wellbeing.

“We ask governments to hold international oil companies like BP, Shell, Total, and ExxonMobil accountable and make them pay for the losses and damages they cause and for a shift to a just transition that ensures social and climate justice is safeguarded.”

Federico Spadini, Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace Italy, stated:

“As Italy faces increasing impacts from extreme weather events, such as the recent thunderstorms and floods in the North-West, major oil and gas company ENI continues to heavily invest in fossil fuels. This is why, in collaboration with twelve citizens and ReCommon, we are suing ENI to stop further climate devastation and hold them accountable for their contribution to the climate crisis and its damaging consequences.”

ENDS

Notes:

[1] Report shows extreme weather causing at least $41bn damage so far this year

[2] Revealed: oil sector’s ‘staggering’ $3bn-a-day profits for last 50 years

[3] Big Oil’s trade group allies outspent clean energy groups by a whopping 27x, with billions in ads and lobbying to keep fossil fuels flowing

[4] ‘Whack-a-mole situation’: Algerian officials wrestle with water shortage anger

[5] Institutional Survey & Assessment Report on Drought Early Warning System in Iraq

[6] Middle East heat takes toll on energy supply in summer

[7] Intense heat in Gaza could worsen health crisis for Palestinians, WHO warns

[8] Heatwave kills dozens of Sudanese en route to Egypt

[9] At least 1,300 hajj pilgrims died during extreme heat, Saudi Arabia says

[10] “The Just Cause” (“La giusta causa”)