Mayor de Blasio has just announced to the world that New York will divest the city’s $190 billion pension funds from the fossil fuel industry. As if that wasn’t a big enough moment on its own, there’s more. New York City has also launched a lawsuit against some of the biggest oil and gas corporations for the damage caused by climate change.
New York City is the first big city in America to sue AND divest from Big Oil. #DivestNY #stopfundingfossils pic.twitter.com/aziLx3HEnQ
— NYC Mayor’s Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) January 10, 2018
For a city as iconic as New York to take a public stand on such a huge scale shows the tide is beginning to turn in our climate fight. Can you help us by sharing the news on social media and ask your networks to sign the Fossil Free pledge too?
New York could trigger a wave of action against the fossil fuel industry from other powerful cities around the world. For that to happen, we need as many people as possible, from every part of the world to demand change. So let’s use this moment to crank up the dial and step up on a massive global scale.
If you live in the U.S. — on January 31st, the day after Trump’s first State of the Union, people will come together for Fossil Free Fast: The Climate Resistance.
Movement leaders including Senator Bernie Sanders, Varshini Prakash of the Sunrise Movement, Rev. Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus, Jessica Lorena Rangel of Houston Eyes of a Dreamer, Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, and many more will deliver the state of our climate movement. They will share stories on the urgency of the current political and climate crises, and light our path ahead: resist the Trump Administration’s ongoing attacks on our climate, build power towards the 2018 and 2020 elections, and secure the lasting change we need through local action.
This inspiring event will be livestreamed at 8:00 PM ET — and thousands across the country will watch with their friends and family. Will you join them? Sign up here.
If you live outside of the U.S. we need you to help us create a global groundswell of local action that can turn the tide. Sign the Fossil Free pledge to learn more about the fight for 100% renewable energy in your area.
When we dreamed up the idea of fossil fuel divestment in 2012 we were thinking: some colleges and some churches will do this. We didn’t dare dream that half a decade later the richest city on earth would be leading the charge, adding almost $200 billion to the nearly $6 trillion in endowments and portfolios that have already been engaged.
People in New York know the real cost of climate change in the aftermath of hurricane Sandy. Instead of feeling powerless, New Yorkers picked themselves up and set to work creating powerful community-led groups and coalitions like the DivestNY campaign. Today’s announcement wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of thousands of New Yorkers working together for change.
There have been a series of announcements in recent weeks that means there is real hope for the future. Norway announced its state oil fund will from oil and gas. France announced it would ban any new oil and gas exploration anywhere on its territory. The World Bank, a bastion of global capitalism announced it would cease funding new fossil free projects anywhere in the world.
Momentum is on our side, and we are at the beginning of something truly awe-inspiring in 2018. And that’s thanks to ordinary folks coming together to stand up to the fossil fuel industry. Our future is a Fossil Free one.
Will you help by sharing this news and ask your friends and family to sign the Fossil Free pledge? We’ve got a hugely ambitious new plan to ensure New York’s announcement is totally eclipsed by the end of this year. Join us for the ride.