A
meeting of European energy ministers organised by Esso has been met with strong
protests from the environmental group Greenpeace. Around thirty activists –
several dressed as tigers to mirror the Esso brand identity – gathered at the
conference venue in Brussels to make their feelings known.The group claims that Esso has done more than any other company to derail global warming measures around the world.
Ministers from the EU’s twenty-five member states attended the event, called ‘Europe’s Energy Outlook’, along with numerous industry officials and representatives.
"Esso chiefs want Europeans to see them as respectable businessmen, but in truth they are at the centre of a deeply irresponsible campaign that could result in the world facing climate disaster,” said Greenpeace’s Emily Armistead. “Esso funds front groups that try to muddy the waters around global warming science while the company gives huge sums to politicians that deny man-made climate change is even happening. We want Europe's top energy policymakers to steer clear of this company."
Previous clashes between Greenpeace and Esso have seen the closure of more than 100 petrol stations in the UK and a long-running legal battle over the use of the Esso logo in the ‘Stop Esso’ campaign.