Greenpeace protests against Fluxys LNG terminal’s lack of commitment to global climate goals

Greenpeace activists occupied the Fluxys terminal in Zeebrugge, Belgium, to denounce its role in the recent development of US LNG imports to Europe, in total disregard of global climate objectives and human rights, as documented in a recent Greenpeace investigation. The environmental organisation is calling for the immediate end of US and European development of gas contracts and infrastructures. The activity involved 10 climbers and 12 kayaktivists from Greenpeace Belgium. They climbed onto the quays used for loading, unloading, and transboarding the large tankers used to transport fossil LNG gas and deployed a 4x5m banner reading “Gas Kills”. Kayaks also entered the terminal. Mathieu Soete, energy expert at Greenpeace Belgium, urged EU institutions, US and European national authorities to abandon new gas projects and phase out gas by 2035 at the latest.

According to a recent Greenpeace International report, gas companies are driving government policies that lock the US and Europe into hazardous new liquefied gas (LNG) commitments. Importing US LNG into Europe surged in 2022, with an increase of 140%. Europe’s gas demand, however, has not been increasing and is expected to decrease. The construction and operation of new LNG terminals could result in a whopping 950 million tonnes of CO2-eq per year associated with these terminals. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of 211 million cars. The build-up of new gas infrastructure severely undermines the chances of keeping global heating under the 1.5C (2.7F) threshold. The Greenpeace report revealed how gas companies are capitalising on war in Ukraine.

Energy expert Soete said: “Our governments must not allow the gas lobby to influence our energy policies. We cannot lock ourselves into dependence on gas; all gas kills, whether Russian, American or Norwegian. Policy makers must stop the fossil fuel expansion and build a wall between themselves and the fossil fuel lobby to accelerate the transition to decentralised, renewable, and clean energies and slash energy waste.”

The occupation of Fluxys terminal by Greenpeace activists demonstrates the urgency to shift our energy policies away from fossil fuel dependency towards renewable and sustainable energy sources. The environmental consequences of ignoring climate objectives and human rights are dire, not only for local communities but for the entire planet. Governments across the world must take note of the danger and use their legislative powers to promote the goals of combating climate change and protecting human rights.

The Greenpeace action sends a powerful message to European gas operators like Fluxys and urges stakeholders and policy-makers to align their goals with the Paris Climate Agreement and the overarching framework of respect for human rights and social justice. The fossil fuel industry, including gas, must be held accountable for their impact on the environment and society. In a world where sustainable and renewable energy is rapidly becoming the norm, it is time to build a wall between ourselves and the fossil fuel lobby and accelerate the transition to a cleaner and better planet.

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