Sebastian,
Last month, Equinor secretly re-submitted their “Environmental Plan” to the regulator, and I won’t lie: this is not good news.
It not only means Equinor could be approved to drill in the Bight within a month, but by not making their new plan public, they’ve left the very people affected by this in the dark.
It’s appalling behaviour that directly contradicts their public-facing PR, where in slick videos directed at Australian audiences, Equinor claim to care about community.1
Sebastian, you and I know that this is nothing more than a form of greenwashing. When you care about community, you tell the truth and share your plans. When you care about community, you don’t risk a disaster of the likes of Brazil or the Bahamas in their home.
If Equinor’s CEO hears from each one of us, we can prove that Equinor have failed abysmally to pull the wool over our eyes. We can prove that this movement is powerful and vocal, and that we will call Equinor out and tarnish their brand irreparably should they continue to push it forward.
At this crucial point in time, every message matters. Let’s take this directly to the top and blast Equinor’s CEO’s with the full force of our national movement.
Sebastian, these were the actual words of Equinor’s country manager in Australia in the aforementioned video:
“You invest in the community, caring for it, just like it’s your own home.”
Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Except Equinor’s published plan is so unsafe, it would not be approved in Equinor’s “own home” of Norway.2
Sebastian, the Bight is not Equinor’s home. It's the home of nursing whales and endangered playful sea lions. It's the home of our biggest fishing communities. It's been the home of First Nations people for more than 60,000 years.
We don’t have Equinor’s advertising budget, but we do have something they don’t: the courage of hundreds of thousands of real Australians who actively oppose Equinor’s plan.
Equinor’s CEO has the power to call the shots. Let’s flood his inbox with our collective voice.
The disasters in Brazil and the Bahamas serve as a galling reminder of what’s at stake in this fight. My heart breaks for the precious ocean life left for dead; but also for the humble communities whose livelihoods in fishing and tourism have been destroyed by wealthy oil giants, including Equinor.
I’m more determined than ever to stand with First Nations people, small scale fishing and tourism operators, and all of us who enjoy our magical coastline to protect the Bight from the same fate. Sebastian, can I count on you to stand with us too?
We’ve been a thorn in Equinor’s side for more than two years. This is our chance to show Equinor that we’re not giving up any time soon, far from it.
For our breathtaking coastline and all who call it home,
Maddie and the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific