In a recent Heated newsletter, the esteemed climate reporter, Emily Atkin, wrote something that stayed with me:
“How am I supposed to keep writing about, and caring about, climate change and pollution and government capture by Big Oil, when the government is executing people in broad daylight? How am I supposed to watch the country descend into full-throated fascism, and then log on to my computer and say: anyway, about those methane regulations?”
As we have watched the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, that’s how I have felt at times. How can we stay focused on our campaigns to end the financial backing for Big Oil, as Trump builds out his own personal paramilitary force and calls on Republicans to seize control of election processes? Should we even try?
Contemplating these questions, I’ve reached a similar conclusion as Atkin did in her newsletter: maintaining a focus on ending the power of the fossil fuel industry is not insensitive or irresponsible, but essential. Not only for the role Big Oil plays in enabling authoritarianism―never forget the $445 million oil and gas companies donated to Trump and his cronies in 2024―but because, in an oil-addicted world of climate chaos, war and violence increase dramatically.
But it cannot be our only focus. Not now.
That’s why, this month, you’re going to keep hearing from us about pushing Democrats to not provide another dollar to ICE, demanding corporations like Target stop accommodating ICE, and why our staff will continue to support powerful actions like this one at the Hilton in Manhattan.
But, even as we join this beautiful mass movement of people standing up to ICE and standing up for immigrants, we’re also going to remain focused on our core campaigns to end the power of the fossil fuel industry.
One of our main strategies on that front right now is in our campaigns to force a wedge between the insurance industry and the fossil fuel industry. Here’s why that matters.
All across the country, the insurance industry is leaving markets and increasing rates for millions of people, worsening the cost-of-living crisis. In California, insurance companies have refused to renew home insurance for at least 2.8 million people since 2020. In New York City, nearly 1 in 5 affordable housing developers say they’ve had to pause projects due to insurance challenges.
And we know why: Over the last twenty years, one-third of all weather-related payouts made by insurance companies can be directly attributed to climate change.
Yet, even as insurance companies abandon vulnerable communities, hike rates and avoid making payouts, they continue to provide insurance coverage to new coal, oil, and gas projects – and directly invest billions on fossil fuel companies. The hypocrisy is stunning.
But this hypocrisy is also a campaign opportunity. So, too, is the fact that, unlike banks, insurance companies are regulated at the state level, giving us an opportunity to achieve meaningful progress during an extremely challenging political time.
That’s why one of our top priorities this year is advancing the Insure our Communities Act in New York State. If passed, this game changing bill would…
Prohibit New York-licensed insurers from insuring new oil, gas and coal projects. Because New York-licensed insurers operate globally, this provision could rule out private insurance for super-polluting projects everywhere.
Prohibit New York-based insurers from investing in oil, gas and coal companies. Little known fact: insurance companies are also some of the world’s largest investors, managing trillions in investment capital. Forcing them to divest from fossil fuels would lock off a major source of finance to oil and gas companies.
Require insurers to make community investments in disadvantaged communities, akin to the Community Reinvestment Act provisions that apply to banks.
Provide discrimination protections for consumers, preventing insurers from discriminating based on climate risk, aka “bluelining,” and stopping insurers from dropping coverage for a community for at least one year after a climate disaster.
Over the coming months, our team in New York will be doing all they can to build support for the Insure our Communities Act, hosting community meetings, town halls, lobbying days, partnering with tenants’ unions and housing justice groups, making the climate-driven insurability crisis an issue in the gubernatorial race, and more.
If you’re based in New York State, you can get involved in the Insure our Communities New York campaign here. (And if you’re not in New York, the folks at the Equitable and Just Insurance Initiative have a model Fossil Free Insurance bill that can be introduced in any state.)
In 2026, this is how we believe the climate movement needs to show up: we need to fight the rise of authoritarianism and we need to continue to attack the pillars of support that enable the world-destroying fossil fuel industry.
In Solidarity,
- Alec Connon, Stop the Money Pipeline coalition director.
News & Updates from the Coalition.
– Not Another $$ for ICE
As the Senate debates funding for the Department of Homeland Security, Democrats must grow a backbone and refuse to commit another dollar in funding ICE.
Call your Senator here. Call, call, call. It’s increasingly clear Trump is building his own unaccountable paramilitary force, one that feels empowered to openly murder people in broad daylight. Democrats can stop him by holding firm in budget negotiations. Call now.
– Stand with Minnesota
The people of Minnesota continue to courageously resist the ICE siege in ways that are awe-inspiring, creative, and heartwarming. The rest of us need to back them up with everything we have. You can donate to Minnesota organizations here; gum up the works at Hilton hotels housing ICE in Minneapolis; or team up with your buddies and attend any of the marches and actions happening across the country, many of which are targeting corporate targets, such as the Hilton, Target, and Enterprise. On Feb 11th, there will be a day of action on Target.
– Flighting to Fossil Fuel Buildout in the Gulf South
On Tuesday, a methane gas pipeline in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, exploded, injuring at least one worker. The explosion happened just miles from where Venture Global – whose billionaire owners are accused of insider dealings in their cozy relationship with the Trump Administration – is attempting to build CP2, an LNG terminal that would have the climate impact of 54 coal-fired power plants.
Local community members are fighting back hard against CP2. Back them up by adding your voice to their letter to the banks and insurance companies behind the project.
– Costco… there are Better Options than Citibank!
Later this month, we’ll be releasing a groundbreaking new report: “Better Options: how large companies and nonprofits can select climate-aligned credit card partners.”
The report reviews the climate performance of the 20 largest credit card issuers in the United States and reveals that eight of those financial institutions do not funnel billions into the fossil fuel industry. Therefore, there are better options for co-branded credit card partners for large institutions like Costco, L.L.Bean and more.
Why does this matter? In total, Citibank, the world’s second-largest funder of fossil fuel expansion, issues 82 million credit cards; 13 million of them are through its partnership with Costco. If Citi loses Costco as a credit card partner over climate issues, it would be the largest example of a bank losing a client over climate concerns that we’re aware of.
Want to know more? Join our Costco: Clean Up Your Credit Card campaign update call on Thurs Feb 26th at 5pm PT / 8pm ET.
– Pushing Pensions to Act on Climate
Of all the financial institutions that should understand the threat of climate change, public pensions are pretty near the top. Pension trustees have a legal duty to steward pensions so that they’re still making healthy returns forty years from now, when a twenty-five-year-old paying into the system will retire. And that is very much threatened by the climate crisis.
Yet, a new report from the Sierra Club shows only 4 out of 29 of the largest pensions in the country have acceptable targets for climate investments, and emissions reductions. Read about it in Bloomberg – and then sign this sign this petition calling on public pensions to adopt climate solutions investment principles.
– State Legislature in Full Swing
With the state legislative season well underway, the time is now to advance climate action at the state level.
You can take action with us in the following states: If you're in Illinois, click here to help pass the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act; in Ohio, stop a bill that would classify fracked gas as clean energy; in Virginia, support a bill to end tax breaks for large polluters and join our staff in attending a Lobby Day on Monday 9th; and in Washington State, you can help pass legislation to divest the state form coal and join 350 WA’s Civic Action Team for regular action updates.
– Venezuela, Imperialism, and Oil
Surprise, surprise. Guess who is financing the fossil fuel companies set to profit from Trump’s imperial forays into Venezuela? Stand.earth breaks it down for us here and here. Top of the list are the terrible trio of Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citibank.
– Local Leads, Global Impacts
And to finish on a more upbeat note. We launched our new leadership development program this week, Local Leads, Global Impacts. Over the next 9-months, 14 campaigners from across the country will receive training and mentorship from a variety of organizing experts from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Communication Workers of America (CWA), Little Sis, and others.
The program is designed to be a real world program and all participants are leading their own campaigns, ranging from statewide Make Polluters Pay campaigns to efforts to push cities to take action on the banks to campaigns to stop the fossil fuel build out in the Gulf South. We look forward to celebrating their wins with you in the months ahead.
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Publicité pleine page dans les médias danois avant l’AGM de Maersk. Le message :
Couverture de l’avis juridique d’Ekō par Reuters
