Climate activists called on Wednesday for a Punchbowl News Event on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago because it was sponsored by fossil fuel giant ExxonMobil.
“Companies like Exxon should have no place at the DNC,” Stevie O’Hanlon, communications director for the Sunrise Movement, said in a statement. “Exxon has spent decades misleading the public about the climate crisis and buying politicians. If the Democratic Party wants to be taken seriously by our generation on climate change, it must back up its words with actions.”
Collin Rees, policy director at Oil Change US, pointed out that “no major oil and gas company is committed to doing the bare minimum to prevent climate chaos.”
“Fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil are moving in the opposite direction of the Democratic Party, whose platform clearly articulates the need to end public money for oil and gas production,” he continued. “ExxonMobil continues to invest billions in new oil and gas projects while simultaneously spreading misinformation and lobbying against sensible climate policy. Exxon should not have a platform at the DNC.”
Rees joined DNC member RL Miller of California and Climate Defiance in disrupting Wednesday’s event. In a video, Miller can be seen declaring, as she was escorted out by men who appeared to be security, “I’m here because Exxon lied and people died.”
“We call on party leaders and participants to end the interference of fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil in the political process.”
Investigations by Congress, journalists and academics have shown that ExxonMobil knew decades ago that fossil fuels would drive climate chaos, but continued to make money from its products and spread misinformation anyway. The company is embroiled in several climate liability lawsuits, and some Democrats on Capitol Hill have recently called for a federal investigation.
Ahead of Wednesday’s action, Miller, the political director of Climate Hawks Vote, highlighted the close ties between the fossil fuel industry and the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump. Trump told executives of major oil companies earlier this year that he would reverse the Biden-Harris administration’s climate policies if they invested just $1 billion in his election.
“ExxonMobil and Donald Trump have already committed to each other – so why is the company sneaking around the convention?” she asked. “We call on party leaders and attendees to end the interference of fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil in the political process.”
Miller specifically put pressure on Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris – who enjoys broad support from the climate movement – and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is also welcomed by environmental groups despite his stance on the Line 3 pipeline and the opposition to it led by indigenous groups.
“Instead, our government must deliver clean, affordable energy tailored to our communities, help workers transition to new jobs, and help regions that have been deliberately sacrificed to toxic pollution and climate chaos,” she said. “Instead of making fossil fuel profits, Democrats must make the world a healthier, more just place and elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable.”
The punch The event included a “pop-up conversation” with Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas) and Vijay Swarup, ExxonMobilSenior Director of Climate Strategy and Technology at . The day-long event also featured Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and other sponsors included Duke Energy.
Responding to the news channel’s posting of a photo of the event on social media, Miller said, “Yes. That’s what bothered me, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
“The DNC is dedicated to solving the climate crisis, not supporting DINOs like Lizzie Fletcher,” she added, using the acronym for “Democrat in Name Only.”
Climate Defiance sharply attacked Fletcher – who was first elected in 2018 – in a series of posts, pointing out that she has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fossil fuel industry over the course of her career.
“Lizzie is co-chair of the Natural Gas Caucus and, as if that wasn’t enough, she is also a member of the Oil and Gas Caucus. She literally can’t get enough of her fossil fuels,” Climate Defiance said.
“Lizzie’s voting record is nonsense. Absolute nonsense,” the group continued. “She voted AGAINST the bill to crack down on oil price gouging. She voted AGAINST a bill that would only require companies to disclose their climate risk. She voted AGAINST the bill that protects the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.”
Kate Aronoff, climate reporter at The New Republicaimed at punch– which had previously been criticized for allowing fossil fuel industry stakeholders to buy advertising in its newsletter – with a sarcastic response to the social media post.
The event came just two days after the Democratic Party’s platform was finalized. Lukas Ross, deputy climate and energy director at Friends of the Earth Action, pointed out on Wednesday that “the Democratic Party platform rightly calls for the elimination of $110 billion in fossil fuel subsidies that have lined the pockets of major oil companies for decades.”
“Dinosaurs like ExxonMobil are afraid of losing their valuable tax loopholes under a Harris administration,” he said, referring to revelations by a Greenpeace reporter who posed as a company recruiter during a 2021 interview with an Exxon executive. “Any fossil fuel company that wants to exert influence in Chicago should be shown the door.”
