Eight women peacefully occupied Chubb Insurers at Abbey House, Booth Street, Manchester yesterday calling on the firm to stop insuring all new oil, gas and coal projects.
This kicked off Extinction Rebellion’s countdown to a national week of action demanding that the insurance industry pull the plug on the fossil fuel crooks.
They refused to leave for several hours, asking to speak with a Chubb representative whilst holding placards saying “Chubb Insure our Future not fossil fuels” and “Only fools insure fossil fuels”. They also read powerful testimonies from people in countries already being badly affected by fossil fuel projects.
Outside the Chubb office, more protesters held colourful banners and flags and gave out leaflets explaining the campaign to staff at Chubb and interested pubic who stopped to watch. They were accompanied by a lively percussion group and chanting.
The high-profile occupation signalled the start of a month of actions targeting fossil fuel insurers across the UK. Extinction Rebellion and their allies are building up to thousands of activists converging on the heart of the UK insurance industry, the City of London on October 28 for a week of protest and disruption.
One of the Manchester protesters, Judy Judkins, 71, retired teacher & grandmother from Lancaster, said:
“I’m here because I am so concerned about what’s going on with the Climate breakdown. All the scientists are saying we need to act now to move away from fossil fuels to ensure a safe future. Insurers such as Chubb have the opportunity to make a huge difference. If they refuse to back new fossil fuel projects and invest instead in clean energy projects, they can be on the right side of history.”
Chubb’s policies on oil, gas and conservation fall short of the global climate goal of keeping human-induced planetary heating under 1.5°C and fail to address the impact of oil and gas operations on nearby ecosystems and communities says the group
“As the most recent IPCC report states: “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.”
Unlike other Insurers such as Zurich & Probitas, Chubb has so far not ruled out insuring the huge and highly controversial new fossil fuel project, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a 1,445 kilometre long crude oil pipeline right through the heart of Africa.
Following pressure from local communities, Chubb has ruled out insuring Rio Grande Liquified ‘Natural’ Gas (LNG) project in Texas. However, it is still insuring other massive LNG projects in the U.S. which will lock in decades of increased methane gas emissions contributing further to climate change. The extraction sites and transportation of LNG also create additional health, safety and environmental risks for the local, mostly poor, racial minority and indigenous communities.
Extinction Rebellion UK spokesperson Steve Tooze said:
“Insurance is the weak spot that can stop the fossil fuel criminals from burning down our future. No insurance means no more drilling and digging for the oil, gas and coal that is heating up the planet, threatening to kill billions through famine, drought, floods, extreme storms and war.
“The insurance industry has a clear choice. Be the heroes who stopped fossil fuel bosses destroying our societies by refusing to insure them. Or be the villains who ensured deadly climate breakdown.
“We’re inviting everyone who cares about their future and the future of their children to come to the City of London on the week of October 28 to demand that the insurers to do the right thing and pull the plug on new oil, gas and coal.”
