Scientists for Extinction Rebellion

2024 was a busy year for Scientists for Extinction Rebellion - let's make 2025 even bigger and better! Our ongoing campaign against the Science Museum's fossil fuel sponsorship included a two-day occupation of the Energy Revolution gallery (sponsored by the world's largest coal producer, Adani) and actions attented by Greta Thunberg and Chris Packham. We've had some success and the museum has now dropped Equinor, but they're still in cahoots with Adani and BP. https://lnkd.in/eiDteQM5 We also protested the criminilisation of peaceful protest and silencing of the science within courtrooms. In September, we protested outside the Ministry of Justice after Judge Hehir prevented the expert testimony of Prof Bill McGuire being heard at the trial of Just Stop Oil activists. We were one of 350 campaigning groups to take part in the Restore Nature Now march in June, bringing together conservationists and activists in an unprecedented coalition of 'insider' and 'outsider' changemakers. https://lnkd.in/eZHVKTzX And we took part in broader campaigns against the insurance companies and law firms that continue to underpin and facilitate fossil fuel expansion. Zurich is the latest firm to now declare it will stop underwriting new fossil fuel projects. https://lnkd.in/ezrsN92d There's much to do in 2025, and lots of big, positive changes ready to be won. Please join us, bring your ideas, and help make us even more impactful in 2025!

A look ahead to 2025 The urgent struggle continues against climate change and ecological collapse, with the consequences of inaction becoming ever more evident. As we look ahead, here is just a small selection of next year’s events that Scientists for XR believes may find more balance through uninvited activist attendance and non-violent disruption. 1. The World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland, 20th - 24th January: This annual event will once again see calls for corporate accountability and systemic reform to address the climate crisis. 2. Global Fossil Fuel Finance Campaigns: we hope to see targeting of major financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, and Allianz, as it remains important to expose their role in funding new fossil fuel projects. Expect activists to push for divestment and greater transparency. 3. U.S. Climate Action Summit, 21st – 25th April, Washington D.C.: this event will bring together corporate leaders, policymakers, and activists to address barriers to net-zero commitments. Activists will target greenwashing and demand transparency in corporate strategies. 4. Shareholder meetings of major fossil fuel companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell, and BP will take place throughout the year. We hope to see protests against their habitual greenwashing and the lobbying that enables them to nurture their continued growth in fossil fuel production. 5. IEA International Summit on the Future of Energy Security, 24th - 25th April, London: expect scrutiny of the IEA’s lack of urgency in transitioning away from fossil fuels. We call for accountability and alignment with nationally agreed targets. 6. Global aviation industry events should expect protests that highlight the sector’s reliance on pernicious carbon offsets and insufficient efforts toward sustainable practices. 7. Tech Industry Sustainability Forum, August, San Francisco: they will draw attention to energy-intensive operations such as data centres. Expect activists to demand that tech giants adopt renewable energy and to come clean over their environmental impacts. 8. COP30, Belém, Brazil, 10th - 21st Nov: The summit will bring global attention to the Amazon rainforest, a region facing escalating deforestation and biodiversity loss. Due to the crippling weaknesses in the COP process, activists will be demanding stronger and tangible commitments to emissions reductions, loss and damage funding, and indigenous rights. As emissions continue to rise and the fossil fuel industry doubles down on expansion, 2025 could become a turning point or yet a further year of missed opportunities. By growing public awareness, sustained activism, and a relentless push for accountability and climate justice, we can catalyse the transformative change we desperately need. So let’s make 2025 a year of action. We must push for science-based solutions, support vulnerable communities, and demand that governments and corporations align their actions with the needs of our planet.

A look ahead to 2025 The urgent struggle continues against climate change and ecological collapse, with the consequences of inaction becoming ever more evident. As we look ahead, here is just a small selection of next year’s events that Scientists for XR believes may find more balance through uninvited activist attendance and non-violent disruption. 1. The World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland, 20th - 24th January: This annual event will once again see calls for corporate accountability and systemic reform to address the climate crisis. 2. Global Fossil Fuel Finance Campaigns: we hope to see targeting of major financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, and Allianz, as it remains important to expose their role in funding new fossil fuel projects. Expect activists to push for divestment and greater transparency. 3. U.S. Climate Action Summit, 21st – 25th April, Washington D.C.: this event will bring together corporate leaders, policymakers, and activists to address barriers to net-zero commitments. Activists will target greenwashing and demand transparency in corporate strategies. 4. Shareholder meetings of major fossil fuel companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell, and BP will take place throughout the year. We hope to see protests against their habitual greenwashing and the lobbying that enables them to nurture their continued growth in fossil fuel production. 5. IEA International Summit on the Future of Energy Security, 24th - 25th April, London: expect scrutiny of the IEA’s lack of urgency in transitioning away from fossil fuels. We call for accountability and alignment with nationally agreed targets. 6. Global aviation industry events should expect protests that highlight the sector’s reliance on pernicious carbon offsets and insufficient efforts toward sustainable practices. 7. Tech Industry Sustainability Forum, August, San Francisco: they will draw attention to energy-intensive operations such as data centres. Expect activists to demand that tech giants adopt renewable energy and to come clean over their environmental impacts. 8. COP30, Belém, Brazil, 10th - 21st Nov: The summit will bring global attention to the Amazon rainforest, a region facing escalating deforestation and biodiversity loss. Due to the crippling weaknesses in the COP process, activists will be demanding stronger and tangible commitments to emissions reductions, loss and damage funding, and indigenous rights. As emissions continue to rise and the fossil fuel industry doubles down on expansion, 2025 could become a turning point or yet a further year of missed opportunities. By growing public awareness, sustained activism, and a relentless push for accountability and climate justice, we can catalyse the transformative change we desperately need. So let’s make 2025 a year of action. We must push for science-based solutions, support vulnerable communities, and demand that governments and corporations align their actions with the needs of our planet.

"The opposite of despair isn't hope, its action" Its the time of year when we find ourselves looking back and looking forward. This short piece from atmospheric scientist, Dr Adam Levy, strongly articulates what many of us are feeling. Its been another year of devastating events and damning reports, and we will all often feel overwhelmed. Its vital that we acknowledge and accommodate these emotions. It is also worth remembering that even tiny actions can count - every day that a habitat is protected or an airport expansion is delayed, every carbon intensive journey that is avoided, every friend that joins the movement - all these actions and more prevent greater devastation and save lives. With the Solstice behind us, we wish you peace and regeneration. And, whether your days are now lengthening or shortening, we hope that your strength and spirit are renewed as we enter another active year. https://lnkd.in/exP598gE

I hope people are aware of the dreadful case of Gaie, the 77 year old grandmother re-imprisoned because her wrists are 'too small' for the monitoring tags!? Nevermind the obvious point that she should not have been sentenced to prison in the first place, she has already served her sentence and had been released from prison. She has literally been rearrested and re-imprisoned due to the failures of the tagging system and the lack of compassion or flexibility in the 'criminal justice system'. Here's last night's channel 4 news segment: https://lnkd.in/eH2mDBhE Please watch and share

Mother Earth knows everything – and she cannot be fooled Shell’s recent use of dubious carbon credits to greenwash its LNG shipments is a stark reminder that nature’s balance sheet cannot be tricked with phantom offsets. A new report from Climate Home News [1] exposes how these ‘carbon-neutral’ claims rely on discredited schemes that fail to truly compensate for the emissions generated. Peer-reviewed studies and communications, such as those in Nature Climate Change and Environmental Research Letters [2], have repeatedly demonstrated that many carbon offset programmes deliver far less impact than promised. Simply put, these schemes might fool auditors or advertisers, but they cannot fool the planet. As we roll towards the end of 2024 – be that with preparations for Winter Solstice, a secular or religious Christmas, or just time with family and friends – we urge Shell and all corporations to reflect on the real meaning of sustainability. Carbon credits are not a substitute for real action to cut emissions at the source. And speaking of reflection... Scientists for XR is proposing a special gift for Shell from Father Christmas this year: a piece of coal. Not for burning, of course, but for their board room display cabinet – a reminder that real action matters more than hollow gestures. Let’s start 2025 with a commitment to genuine, science-based climate solutions. Together, we can then work towards a future where our actions align with the needs of our planet. [1] M. Civillini, ‘How Shell greenwashed gas with sham Chinese carbon credits’, Climate Home News, 19th Dec 2024, [Accessed 12th Dec 2024] [2] P. W. Boyd, et al., ‘Carbon offsets aren’t helping the planet – four ways to fix them’, Nature 620, 947-949, 29th Aug 2023. #Greenwashing #Sustainability

What to do if your business supports the fossil fuel industry, and also provides #insurance to those who are affected by #climatechange? When it becomes too risky to insure against weather-related losses, do you keep the model of underwriting new fossil fuel extraction and abandon those affected? According to the Insure Our Future Global 2024 Scorecard on insurance, climate change, and the energy transition, 'the insurance industry faces an existential crisis driven by climate change.' It's difficult to believe that the insurance companies don't understand this. They are led by data, and the data shows increasing climate risk. According to Insure our Future over one third, $6 billion, of weather-related insured losses over the last two decades can be attributed to climate change. A campaign run by Extinction Rebellion UK over the last year has been targeting insurance companies that support the fossil fuel industry. Without the support of insurance companies there would be no new drilling for oil, gas or coal. Grassroots campaigns raising awareness, and individuals and businesses moving their insurance to companies that do not support the fossil fuel industry will hopefully add pressure to the campaign. There have been successes; after Extinction Rebellion occupied the London offices of Zurich Global, the CEO got in touch and later announced an end to insuring new fossil fuel extraction. The scorecard includes a section for lawmakers and regulators; if the insurance companies can't make the changes themselves they need to be pushed, by the law or by #activists. Let's keep up the pressure!

If data and evidence alone don't lead to change, how can researchers best help catalyse the transformations we need? It's an increasingly urgent question now being addressed by scientists in many fields. In their fascinating recent paper 'Protists and protistology in the Anthropocene: challenges for a climate and ecological crisis', Scientists for Extinction Rebellion member Abi Perrin and Richard Dorrell consider the question from the point of view of the microbiome. https://lnkd.in/ev5iUSSn The authors recognise that, "for our research to continue and its potential to be realized, we are dependent on the functioning of socio-ecological systems that are existentially threatened by the climate and ecological crisis. This is an uncomfortable truth and one that the scientific research community has been slow to confront. Many of us are, consciously or unconsciously, navigating a paradox of pursuing a life science career in an escalating biospheric emergency that may not be compatible with organized human society. The tensions inherent in performing research in the era of climate collapse, at the expense of recognizing and taking action to address these threats, may feel particularly acute for younger researchers." Their suggested responses are summarised in this amazing figure. Ensuring we have real impact in the real world, they venture, means reconsidering what research questions we ask, redesigning how we carry out our research, and working to influence society beyond the confines of the academic literature. There are lessons here for all academics - if your study system is threatened and your work doesn't address that threat as purposefully or effectively as it could, what else could you do?

“If the purpose of universities is to improve society and be agents of change, then it seems that (climate) ‘science-as-usual’ is failing”. This troubling observation, from a paper published by Dr Anna Pigott and colleagues last month, signals that we need new approaches within our institutions if we are to create necessary transformational change. That scientists perceive a future of dramatic change is evident from research from Samuel Finnerty, Jared Piazza and Mark Levine, published last week. Their analysis of how scientists see the future, discovered diverse framings of the unfolding climate and ecological crises. Whilst some scientists see inevitable collapse, others see some degree of transformation as achievable. The position of scientists in response to these different framings varied, from prepping to technosolutionism, with a range of activist stances in between. Activism - to delay collapse, to precipitate systemic change - was often expressed as a moral imperative on scientists and the wider public. These are fascinating insights into scientists' role in shaping societal discourse and framing action. They also highlight a burden of scientific knowledge that is leading to activism for an increasing number. Implied by this move into activism, is the emotional toll of climate knowledge. Yet our academic institutions impose norms of objectivity, rationality and restraint on scientists. What scientists feel is rarely explored. This may not simply be a problem for scientists, who live with these emotions, but it may be limiting our institutions’ ability to facilitate meaningful systemic change. Drawing on ancient wisdom, common sense and, now, evidence that emotions are fundamental to triggering systemic change Anna Pigott, Hanna Nuuttila, Merryn Thomas, Fern Smith, Kirsti Bohata, Tavi Murray, Marega Palser, Emily Holmes and Osian Elias, set up Climate Lab. Within this project, scientists and artists explored their emotions such as grief, vulnerability, shame and uncertainty. They discovered not only “relief from the cognitive dissonance of suppressing emotions” but personal connectedness and awareness of other perspectives - knowledge that is vital to “dismantling fossil capitalism [and] creating a fairer, more inclusive and more ecologically-sensitive institutions and societies”. Despite the pressures of cultural norms, scientists are responding to the experience of their knowledge in creative and energetic ways. Exploring the emotions experienced by scientists seems as radical as the activism that stems from these emotions - and both are expressions of the desire to address the changes that are, and will increasingly be, impacting us all. Finnerty et al., 2024, “Climate futures: Scientists' discourses on collapse versus transformation” https://lnkd.in/eicVkMvu Pigott et al., 2024, ““No one talks about it”: using emotional methodologies to overcome climate silence and inertia in Higher Education” https://lnkd.in/e7MCCmN2

Quiz: Which Companies Made These ESG Claims? As environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals become central to corporate or institution strategies, the promises they make often sound ambitious and inspiring. But are these commitments backed by action, or are they just clever greenwashing? Test your ability to identify corporate ESG claims and spot potential red flags. Below, we’ve listed statements from six large companies with global brands. Can you identify who made each claim? Double your score by adding a @mention of the company in the comments. Answers will be posted below during the weekend. 1.      ‘Our ambition is to [...] help the world get to net zero.’ Hint: This company has outlined ‘10 aims’ but faces criticism for its downstream carbon emissions. It has also recently abandoned a 2030 target to reduce its harmful emissions. 1 point. 2.      ‘Our goal is [...] by 2030, to help ensure a World Without Waste.’ This claim deflects responsibility onto consumers by emphasising individual recycling efforts. 1 point. 3.      ‘Climate – Our belief that the future is lower carbon drives [our] lower carbon ambitions and the actions we take to advance them.’ Hint: Critics argue this statement is vague and lacks measurable specifics. 1 point. 4.      ‘Our Conscious Collection features fashion pieces created with a little extra consideration for the planet.’ The fashion industry is responsible for dumping approximately 92 million tonnes of waste in landfills annually. 5.      ‘Europe’s lowest emissions, lowest fares airline.’  The UK Advertising Standards Authority required this claim to be removed as it was misleading. You may need to use the Internet Archive Wayback Machine to view this campaign – therefore 3 points. 6.      ‘Our target is to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.’ One of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies, frequently criticised for its reliance on carbon offsets. So, whether you are an employee, business owner, or a consumer, we all encounter ESG claims in our daily lives. How does your institution or company compare to the above? Are their ESG goals clear and achievable? Do they emphasise actionable plans rather than relying on vague aspirations or shifting responsibility to others? #ESG #CSR #ClimateChange #Environment