Just Stop Oil warns the Labour Party: act on fossil fuels or face the consequences

Just Stop Oil has issued an ultimatum to all political parties – including the Labour Party – ahead of the general election. It’s over the UK’s use of fossil fuels and resultant worsening of the climate crisis.

Just Stop Oil letter delivery

Just Stop Oil has delivered letters to the leaders of all major parties running in the upcoming general election, demanding they commit to signing the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.

13 countries including Colombia and Fiji, and the European Parliament, have endorsed the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty. As it says on its website, it aims to:

complement the Paris Agreement by providing the global roadmap needed to halt the expansion of fossil fuel, manage an equitable phase-out of coal, oil and gas, and lay the foundations for a true just energy transition in which no worker, community or country is left behind.

With this in mind, Just Stop Oil’s letter calls on the UK’s political parties to act. Four Just Stop Oil supporters also visited the four biggest parties to hand-deliver the letter:

Just Stop Oil: the next PM has until 12 July

The letter, which you can read here, says:

“continuing to extract and burn fossil fuels is nothing short of an act of war against small island states and the poor living in the global south, an utter betrayal of the young and an act of treason against the United Kingdom.

“In light of this, if you are elected as the next Prime Minister, your first responsibility must be to ensure the robust defence of the people you have been elected to serve. It is crystal clear that the COP process has failed and we now need a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty – a concrete, globally binding plan to end all new coal, oil and gas projects and manage a fair and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.

“We therefore demand that, should you become our next Prime Minister, you immediately commit the UK government to work with other nations to establish a legally binding treaty to stop extracting and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030 as well as supporting and financing other countries to make a fair and just transition.

“This can be accomplished by endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative and seeking a negotiating mandate to establish the treaty.

“Failing to do so, would be both criminal and murderous.

“If you do not provide such assurance by 12 July 2024, we will be forced to take action to protect our communities by engaging in a campaign of noncooperation against fossil fuel use at airports across the country.

“The era of fossil fuels is over. It’s time to stop waging war on the young”.

A new campaign of resistance will begin

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:

The UK’s next government in waiting has committed to enacting Just Stop Oil’s original demand of ‘no new oil and gas’ in the upcoming election. This is a major victory for anyone who cares about protecting our communities from the catastrophe being imposed on ordinary people by fossil-fueled elites and corporations.

However, this commitment will not be enough to prevent ongoing collapse, whilst fossil fuel projects are still being built here and around the world. Scientists are clear that the carbon currently in the atmosphere will be enough on its own to make large parts of the world uninhabitable in years to come.

It is clear that continuing to extract and burn fossil fuels in 2024 is nothing short of an act of war against humanity. As such, we are demanding party leaders and the next Prime Minister commit to defending the people they have been elected to serve by working with other nations to establish a legally binding treaty to stop the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.

If the incoming leader does not support this treaty, Just Stop Oil will begin a new campaign of civil resistance, and they are not alone. In an unprecedented coordination across movements, citizen’s from Austria, Canada, Norway, UK, Netherlands and Switzerland have pledged to join in resistance this summer, if their own Governments do not take meaningful action.

Featured image via Just Stop Oil