FOSSIL FREE CAMPAIGNS IN EUROPE

DIVEST: The aim of the divestment campaign is to weaken the political influence of the fossil fuel industry, which keeps holding back action on climate change. Divestment is the opposite of investment – it means getting rid of stocks, bonds or investment funds that are unethical. Which institutions in your local area could you call on to #divest? Check out the Divestment guide for ideas on possible campaign targets, and how to plan and run your local divestment campaign. Each Divestment campaign group is autonomous but is built from the same building blocks. And it’s working: in just a few years of divestment campaigning, 800+ institutions have already divested funds to the value of $6+ trillion, and rising!

DESPONSOR: Many companies try to greenwash their image by sponsoring art galleries, exhibitions, and museums. Another way to show that the fossil fuel industry has no social licence is to call on these public institutions to refuse sponsorship and funding from fossil fuel companies. Some pioneering desponsor campaigns in Europe include Fossil Free Culture NL, targeting Shell’s sponsorship of Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, Libérons le Louvre in Paris (the Louvre is sponsored by Total), and the Art not Oil coalition, targeting BP’s sponsorship of the British Museum and other institutions in London. In September last year, there were actions in all three cities in just one week!

Other Fossil Free campaign ideas: In Europe, we’re best placed to support your local organising on divestment and de-sponsorship right now. If you’re thinking of starting a new campaign, we think this would be the best place to start. But in other countries around the world, the Fossil Free campaign is starting to broaden its focus and adding some new campaign opportunities. If you’re keen to get an early look at these or test one of the new campaign ideas in your area, it’d be great to hear from you: visit gofossilfree.org or get in touch with us at europe-team@350.org.