Take action for a real EU climate leader
To all Members of the European Parliament and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
Petition
In order to protect the integrity of the European Unions' climate action, we urge you to ensure that the EU Commissioner nominee Wopke Hoekstra is not given the climate portfolio as planned.As a former Shell employee with a history of support for policies and initiatives that are in conflict with climate solutions, this would be a dangerous appointment. We are asking for a climate champion leading the EU's green transition and not someone who is friendly with the fossil fuel industry. And that we address the corporate capture of EU politics with a conflict of interest framework.
Why is this important?
In the past decades, fossil fuel giants have paid millions in lobbying to keep Europe hooked on gas while blocking a transition to renewables. The fossil fuel industry is using the same tactics as Big Tobacco sponsoring greenwashing events for politicians and coming up with dubious research downplaying the dangers of climate change.
Now the EU stands ready to hand over the keys to our climate policy to a former Shell employee with a track record of putting profit ahead of the planet. This isn’t just about blocking Hoekstra from rolling back action on climate change, it’s about standing up for a politics free from fossil fuel links. It’s about building a firewall to protect decision making for public good rather than private interest. That's why we also need to address the corporate capture of EU politics with a conflict of interest framework.