Top 5 Mega Polluters must foot the bill to make Europe heatwave-proof
Heatwave action plan
One heatwave follows another and again, people across Europe are once again battling record temperatures of around 40 degrees. The consequences are forest fires, droughts and floods. In Belgium alone, the heatwave two weeks ago claimed 1,222 extra lives. The Greens/EFA have presented an action plan to tackle heatwaves, to cool down our cities, regions, schools, hospitals, buses and trains, and make our public spaces heatwave-proof. The five largest fossil fuel companies: TotalEnergies, BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Shell must finally contribute to the costs of cooling our cities and homes and preparing Europe for heatwaves. With just seven per cent of the annual turnover of these fossil fuel giants, we can tackle the heat in public spaces across the EU.
Sara Matthieu, Greens/EFA coordinator of the Committee on the Environment and member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, comments:
“It’s absurd that we can cool down data centers, while not being able to cool down people´s homes. Families and many people on a tight budget and social housing tenants are hit hardest. Many live in old, poorly insulated homes, with no garden, no terrace, not even shutters. Shading and air conditioning are a lifeline. The Commission must prioritise measures that keep homes cool during heatwaves, without making citizens’ energy bills skyrocket.
“Cool homes must not be a luxury. Polluters must pay for cooling down our cities, regions, schools, hospitals and our homes. Decades of profits made by TotalEnergies, BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Shell have driven temperatures sky-high, resulting in wildfires, flooding, school closures, postponed operations and a world in the grip of a heat emergency. The five biggest fossil fuel companies must foot the bill to make sure all public buildings and homes in the EU are heatwave proof, human-friendly, cool spaces.”
Background
According to the European Commission, we need 70 billion euros a year to make Europe heat-resilient. TotalEnergies, BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Shell together generate a total turnover of one trillion euros a year.
Greens/EFA Heatwave Action Plan
Plenary debate on the heatwave in Europe starting at 10am today
