Extinction Rebellion action will shine a light on the the shadier, lesser-known fossil fuel companies’ London offices. 

We all know where BP and Shell are located. But many lesser-known companies are members of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), which comprises of: BP, Chevron, CNPC, ENI, Equinor, Occidental Petroleum, Pemex, Petrobras, Repsol, Saudi Aramco, Shell & Total.

The action will target companies such as ENI, which has been attempting to explore for oil in Cardigan Bay and will include music from the opera Carmen. 

Paris agreement

The OGCI claimed that its “member companies are dedicated to the ambition of the Paris Agreement to progress to net zero emissions in the second half of this century.”

XR argues that reducing methane emissions during upstream and downstream production in order to reduce the greenhouse effect, whilst still seeking to increase the production of barrels of oil per day, is hypocrisy. 

These companies (along with the many investment companies) have their offices right in the centre of our capital yet we don’t really know they are there.  

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion said: “The Procession is to let them know we know they are there, and we know that as long as they are continuing to explore and drill for more fossil fuels, they are not ‘dedicated to the ambition of the Paris Agreement’.

“We are asking them to tell the truth and stop what they’re doing”.  

Crime scenes

Extinction Rebellion will label these offices as ‘crime scenes’ in a non-violent, symbolic way.

Why Carmen? BP is sponsoring a Royal Opera House performance of Carmen in the evening – to be broadcast to 13 BP Big Screens in public places around the UK at 7pm. 

Lola Perrin, a co-ordinator of the action and a contemporary classical musician and composer, said: “In this opera, the central character – Carmen – is killed, so this presents a suitable crime scene scenario for our ceremonial crime scene declaration.

“Actor Tamaryn Payne will deliver a monologue specially created by April De Angelis, a band of classical musicians will perform an adapted version of Bizet’s Habanera.

“Members of the procession will be mass leafleting Londoners along the four hour route and using shakers, bells and sirens to sound the alarm that further fossil fuel exploration endangers all life on earth.”

This Author 

Rob La Frenais is an independent curator and writer who has written extensively on art and climate issues.

Image: Francesca Harris, XR.