After Shocking Report Links Citi’s Financing of Dirty Energy Projects in Black and Brown Communities to Premature Deaths & Asthma, Environmental Leaders Hold Showdown at Citi’s Global Headquarters to Demand Meeting with Execs
"We are here once again to ask Citibank to divest from fossil fuels...We have requested a meeting with Citi. Communities impacted by the impacts of their support for dirty fossil fuel companies came in June. And we are here again, asking for a meeting, and yet the table is empty...the cowards. "My life matters. Gulf south matters," read a sign nearby as activists from the Gulf South to Bangladesh to New York descend on Citi's headquarters and demand accountability.
Citi’s financing of fossil fuel projects in the Gulf South of Louisiana and Texas may kill as many as two people a year from air pollution.
Hundreds of Black & Brown environmental leaders from frontline communities & allies give Citi execs a choice: come down and meet or activists will shut it down.
Environmental leaders from the Gulf South kicked off Climate Week today, Monday, September 23rd by holding a showdown at Citigroup’s global headquarters in Manhattan to demand that executives meet with the people who suffer from the impacts of their racist fossil fuel investments. They were joined by immigrants from Bangladesh and other countries in South Asia whose home countries have been ravaged by floods and other extreme weather events caused by climate change.
The showdown comes on the heels of a new report on Citi’s environmental racism showing the devastating impacts of Citi’s financing of dirty energy projects in low-income Black and Brown communities in the Gulf South – including an area with so much pollution from fossil fuels and petrochemicals that a swath has been deemed Cancer Alley. The report found that Citi’s financing of four Liquid Natural Gas export terminals in Texas and Louisiana could result in as many as 2 premature deaths and $36 million in health costs per year from air pollution.
Over the summer, at least 5,000 people joined protests, and over 700 were arrested, in the historic Summer of Heat on Wall Street campaign calling on Citi to stop financing death. Citi is the number one funder of fossil fuel expansion in the world. Instead of listening to frontline communities and climate scientists sounding the alarm on the mass death and destruction caused by oil, coal, and gas, Citi doubled down on its racist investments and helped arrange over $4 billion in fossil-fuel company financing throughout the summer.
Thirty-one people were arrested at a showdown outside of Citigroup’s global headquarters in Manhattan this morning after demanding to meet with Citi execs to discuss the company’s racist financing of dirty energy projects, which a shocking new report linked to premature deaths from air pollution.
Today’s showdown kicked off Climate Week in New York City and drew over 250 protesters, including more than 50 Black and Brown environmental leaders from the Gulf South, Indigenous climate activist Olivia Bisa, and immigrants from Bangladesh who are members of DRUM.
Over the summer, at least 5,000 people joined protests, and over 700 were arrested, in the historic Summer of Heat on Wall Street campaign calling on Citi to stop financing death. Citi is the number one funder of fossil fuel expansion in the world. Instead of listening to frontline communities and climate scientists sounding the alarm on the mass death and destruction caused by oil, coal, and gas, Citi doubled down on its racist investments and helped arrange over $4 billion in fossil-fuel company financing throughout the summer.
The weather is cooling down but our movement to stop Citi’s climate chaos is as hot as ever! Stay tuned for upcoming actions and reply to this email if you have any questions and/or would like to set up an interview.
No comments:
Post a Comment