Two years ago, the early entry into force of the Paris Climate Agreement would have been unthinkable. Today, it is part of a new normal. The world is moving to make its vision of a safer climate a reality, and CIEL is a leader in this fight.
But the challenges we face are larger than ever and the stakes are far too high.
The day after the US election, ExxonMobil expanded its campaign of intimidation against those who are investigating the company and its oil industry allies — including me. And while the subpoena Exxon delivered on November 9th is addressed to me personally, we believe CIEL’s work to expose the oil industry’s history of climate denial has made CIEL a target of Exxon’s efforts to harass, intimidate, and silence those who would bring the truth to light.
As outrageous as Exxon’s action is, it’s also a clear signal that we’re having an impact. We’ve hit a nerve and Exxon is on the defensive.
It’s clear that Exxon feels emboldened in their efforts to silence critics under a Trump administration. But we will not stop in our pursuit of the truth. If oil companies misrepresented or concealed material facts about their products from consumers, investors, and the public in the name of profit, they committed fraud and they must be held accountable.
We are stronger than ever. Over the past year we have seen movements for the environment, social justice, and human rights converge and win in unprecedented ways. We have new alliances, new strategies, new urgency. And we have you.
My subpoena is a sign of the kind of legal harassment and intimidation we will increasingly face in the year ahead. Please join us in fighting back by making a monthly donation to CIEL to sustain our work in the face of these threats: act.ciel.org/sustainer.