NEW YORK. NY – Ahead of the Climate Ambition Summit in New York City, thousands of youth, frontline advocates and climate and community activists joined in the March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City ton September 17, 2023 making it the largest climate mobilization in the United States since the start of the pandemic.
The March to End Fossil Fuels demands President Joe Biden to stop all federal approvals for new fossil fuel projects, phase out production of fossil fuels on public lands and waters, and declare a climate emergency.
Over 700 organizations, led by march organizers at the Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Popular Democracy, Climate Organizing Hub, Food & Water Watch, Fridays For Future USA & NYC, Earthworks, Greenfaith, Indigenous Environmental Network, New York Communities for Change, Oil Change International and Oil & Gas Action Network, supported today’s mass action.
In addition, over 100 federal elected leaders, actors, and renowned climate activists lent their support to the march. Additionally, 400 scientists and nearly 100 local elected officials in New York, Hawaii, and across the country sent letters to President Biden asking him to end fossil fuel expansion and declare a climate emergency.
The New York March is part of over 600 actions taking place across the world in the Global Fight to End Fossil Fuels. Already, over 500,000 people have joined demonstrations urging world leaders to phase out fossil fuels, including actions in Germany, Kenya, Bangladesh, Peru, the North Pole, and Antarctica.
On Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will host the Climate Ambition Summit in New York City. In an unprecedented move, Guterres is setting a standard for attending countries to present fossil fuel phaseout plans and commit to no new oil, gas, and coal. The White House said President Biden does not plan to attend the Climate Ambition Summit.
March organizers and global activists met with U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Selwin Hart on Friday to express support for the summit’s Ambition Agenda. Momentum to end fossil fuels continues to build across the United States.
On Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that California filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against major oil companies over decades of disinformation and harm that have cost the state billions of dollars. California is by far the largest U.S. entity to file such a case.
The March to End Fossil Fuels and the UN Climate Ambition Summit come on the heels of new reports that show the urgent need to end the use of fossil fuels. The “Planet Wreckers” report from Oil Change International found the United States accounts for more than one-third of planned global oil and gas expansion through 2050.
A study released on Friday by Jeremy Symons finds increased exports of oil and gas have undermined the emissions reductions in Pres. Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
© Erik McGregor – erikrivas@hotmail.com – 917-225-8963