Reuters Sustainability Awards Accused of Greenwashing as Activists Disrupt Event
The Reuters Sustainability Awards, which features amongst others, tobacco companies, mining companies, and the UK’s biggest carbon emitter, Yorkshire power station Drax, is being accused of ‘Greenwashing’ by environmental activists who disrupted the ceremony in Central London.
The Reuters Sustainability Awards are meant to ‘celebrate leadership in sustainable businesses’; but the finalists included over 100 companies with questionable environmental and human rights records. Companies paid Reuters £500-1000 to enter into the awards, and then a further minimum of £8000 to attend the event.
Finalists included; Selby based Biofuel giant Drax, who are the UKs biggest carbon emitter1 and recently faced £25m of OFGEM fines over misreporting in its supply chains2; Holcim Ltd, whose subsidiary paid Isis millions during Syria’s civil war to keep its concrete factories open3, Aris Mining who are suing the country of Colombia because of community unionsation4, and Fortescue, the Australian mining giant who were sued for mining on Aboriginal land5 and recently welcomed the disastrous former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as an advisor6. Other nominees include Amazon, Mars, and the Tobacco giant Philip Morris International. Virgin Atlantic were nominated for an award for their ‘Sustainable Aviation Fuel’ project, which recent reporting showed to be linked to deforestation7.
Activists unfurled a banner above the entrance to the Central London venue, reading ‘Welcome To The Greenwashing Awards”, and handed out ‘Certificates of Greenwashing’ to participants, which listed some of the abuses on the back.
Polly Hallam, from campaigning group Axe Drax, said:
“What we are seeing here is an example of the very same multinationals who are guilty of perpetuating the climate crisis pretending to have green credentials to distract us from their environmental and human rights abuses. They pay money to get a badge for press releases and websites in order to launder their reputation. These awards distract us from the real work needed to rapidly decarbonise and get on track to solving the catastrophe that continues to unfold.”
Sam Simons from Climate Resistance said:
“Big polluters are using their political influence to stonewall climate action and protect their own short-term profits. Drax, the UK’s single largest carbon emitter, donated £12,000 to Labour and sponsored their party conference, in order buy influence and protect their dirty business. We face a climate crisis – only last month, huge swathes of Europe were underwater. Yet these companies are more focused on laundering their reputations rather than stopping the actual harmful practices that are contributing to the problem.”
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Axe Drax
Axe Drax is a UK based grassroots network that actively opposes Drax through disruptive direct action. We campaign for an end to Drax’s subsidies, due to the environmental, societal and planetary impacts of burning trees for energy. We are building a broad based network, working in solidarity with frontline communities to effectively confront the environmentally destructive biomass industry and the social and economic forces driving climate change.
Drax
Drax Power Station, located near Selby in Yorkshire, is the world’s biggest woody biomass power station and the UK’s single largest carbon emitter. Drax sources from around the world, primarily the US, Canada, and the Baltic States. Drax’s wood pellet production sites, predominantly located in environmental justice communities, emit large amounts of pollutants, such as PM10, PM2.5 and VOCs which are linked to respiratory and pulmonary health impacts. Woody biomass is counted as carbon neutral by the UK Government, allowing Drax to receive renewable energy subsidies (CfDs and ROCs).
Website: axedrax.uk
Social Media: axe_drax
Notes for Editors: More information on environmental and human rights record of nominated companies are available on request.
Spokes available on request.
Photos and videos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QZlyHEuFR8lYCzPMG5po37g7Ohb_J0ud?usp=sharing
References:
1. https://ember-climate.org/insights/research/drax-co2-emissions-biomass/
2. https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/news/ofgem-closes-investigation-drax-power-limited