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oil change international
Over 120 civil society groups demand EU leaders phase out US fossil fuels in light of Trump’s fossil fuel imperialism
Following Trump’s strikes on Venezuela and his escalating threats to other Latin American countries and Greenland, over 120 European and international civil society groups sent a letter to EU leaders to urge them to cancel negotiation and implementation of the US-EU trade deal and reduce reliance on US fossil fuels.
Jan 29, 2026
Today, over 120 European and international civil society groups sent a letter to EU leaders to urge them to cancel negotiation and implementation of the US-EU trade deal and reduce reliance on US fossil fuels in solidarity with those threatened by Trump’s fossil-fueled imperialism in Latin America and Greenland. Signatories include Oil Change International, Greenpeace International, Conexiones Climáticas, European Trade Justice Coalition, and the EU-LAT network.
In July 2025, Trump used the threat of economically devastating tariffs to ensure the EU would agree to import $750 billion of US energy products over the next three years. Many analysts say this deal risks creating yet another dangerous dependency for Europe while leading to the weakening or abandoning of crucial climate and human rights legislation in the bloc. The letter argues that every Euro spent on US fossil fuels, and every fossil fuel investment made by European companies and banks in the United States, fuels Trump’s authoritarian agenda at home and his imperial ambitions abroad. Increased reliance on US fossil fuels will also worsen the climate crisis, spread toxic pollution in frontline communities, and is expected to raise energy prices for EU households.
The letter concludes that the EU must courageously oppose Trump’s fossil fuel agenda and defend people, our planet, and the rule of law. It demands EU leaders:
-Stand in solidarity with the Latin American nations threatened by the United States and other manifestations of imperial force, and to stand against all forms of oppression affecting local communities, as in the specific case of Venezuela.
-Stand in solidarity with Greenland. It is up to its people, and only them, to decide on their future.
-Put forth a motion at the United Nations that condemns the US’s blatant violations of international law
-Immediately cancel negotiations and implementation of the US-EU trade deal
-Engage with EU Member States to renew the European Green Deal and establish a binding roadmap for the phase-out of fossil gas,in particular US liquefied natural gas (LNG)
-Engage with EU Member States to appropriately terminate existing and prevent new long-term contracts for the import or financing of US LNG
-Defend the existing EU Methane Regulation and ensure a strong and robust implementation that applies to imports
-Support the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, organized by the governments of Colombia and the Netherlands
Quotes:
“The EU has shifted its energy dependence from one authoritarian regime to another. Under Trump, the U.S. has become a rogue state that violates international law and bullies sovereign nations into submitting to its ‘energy dominance’ agenda. The EU must stop wasting money on risky, expensive U.S. fossil fuels, which threaten climate goals, put people at greater risk of climate disasters, and harm communities with toxic pollution. The EU is at a fork in the road: it can follow the U.S. down a volatile, destructive path or it can forge its own course toward stability. It can save billions, build a resilient economy, and ensure its long-term energy security and independence through a just transition to renewable energy.” Myriam Douo, False Solutions Senior Campaigner, Oil Change International
“There’s nothing clean about US LNG. This industry has destroyed wetlands, damaged fishermen’s livelihoods, and condemned Gulf South communities like mine to higher rates of heart conditions, asthma, and cancer. We’re also on the frontlines of hurricanes and flooding made worse by continued fossil-fuel dependency Europe keeps importing. The EU must side with communities like mine, not the fossil fuel executives bankrolling Trump, by ending its reliance on U.S. gas.” James Hiatt, Executive Director of For a Better Bayou
“If there was ever a time to realize that Europe needs to hold its ground and resist the fossil fueled imperialism of both Putin and Trump, than this time is definitely now! Switching one foolish fossil dependency for another is like switching from Vodka to Whiskey (or rather Bourbon) while claiming to get sober. Europe must stop lying to itself and get real. Real sovereignty is fossil free!” Andy Gheorghiu, freelance climate campaigner, consultant, and initiator of the letter
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Oil Change International response to Trump’s planned meeting with oil executives on Venezuela
Jan 09, 2026
President Trump is expected to meet with oil industry executives today to discuss their cooperation with his plans to take over Venezuela’s oil industry. Representatives from Chevron, Exxon, ConocoPhillips, and Continental Resources are expected to attend.
Chevron is the last remaining U.S. oil company in Venezuela, and widely seen as best positioned to profit from U.S. aggression in the country. Exxon and ConocoPhillips left the country after former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez’s renegotiation of their contracts in 2007. If a U.S.-friendly government were installed in Venezuela, it is more likely that their claims would be paid. Continental Resources is run by major Trump ally Harold Hamm, and is one of the few oil companies to have publicly expressed interest in investing in Venezuela since Trump’s strikes.
Oil Change International U.S. program manager Allie Rosenbluth said:
“American fossil fuel companies who’ve bought access to the Trump administration stand to benefit most from Trump’s illegal acts of aggression in Venezuela. Today’s meeting is meant to ensure the future of Venezuela is being shaped in a way that maximizes Big Oil profits and Trump’s power.
“Meanwhile, the Venezuelan people, U.S. taxpayers, and our climate are being set up to pay the price. At least 75 people in Venezuela have already been killed by the Trump administration’s strikes. Many others stand to be harmed by the chaos created by Trump’s fossil-fueled imperialism.
“U.S taxpayers are already footing the bill for Trump’s attacks on Venezuela, as well as for $35 billion worth of giveaways to the fossil fuel industry each year. If U.S. government agencies are pulled in to provide guarantees and financing for U.S. companies to continue oil production in Venezuela, U.S. taxpayers will be forced to pay even more, even as this administration refuses to fund healthcare, housing, and other necessities for working people.
“Our climate can’t afford any new oil and gas development, let alone on the scale Trump envisions for Venezuela, and our world can’t afford new wars. Existing oil and gas reserves are enough to push us past 1.5 degrees of warming, putting communities across the world in danger from climate-fueled hurricanes, fires, and droughts.
“Trump’s aggression in Venezuela is leading us to a hotter, more polluted, and more dangerous world – all to enrich himself and his fossil-fuel donors. Today’s meeting is proof of that. To protect our communities from climate disasters and more wars for oil, we need to reject extractive energy models and build democratic systems that prioritize community health and safety.”
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Response to U.S. military strikes in Venezuela: a fossil-fueled act of war
Jan 03, 2026
In response to U.S. military strikes in Venezuela, Elizabeth Bast, Executive Director, Oil Change International, said:
“President Trump’s launch of large‑scale military strikes in Venezuela, including the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, is a flagrant act of war and violation of international law. This reckless aggression is part of a shameful pattern of U.S. imperialism in Latin America, where military power secures economic interests, in particular fossil fuels and critical resources.
“The Trump administration justifies hostility toward Venezuela with accusations of drug running and authoritarianism — but this escalation follows a historic playbook: undermine leftist governments, create instability, and clear the path for extractive companies to profit. The most powerful multinational fossil fuel corporations stand to benefit from these aggressions, and U.S. oil and gas companies are poised to exploit the chaos and carve up one of the world's most oil-rich territories.
“This act defies the U.S. constitution’s delegation of Congress’ war making authority and disregards international rules that prevent acts of war without debate or authorization. The U.S. must stop treating Latin America as a resource colony. The Venezuelan people, not U.S. oil executives, must shape their country’s future.”
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COP30 Presidency presents new draft text that fails on equity
“This is outrageous."
Nov 21, 2025
Bronwen Tucker, Public Finance lead at Oil Change International, said:
“This is outrageous. We came here to secure a COP 30 package for justice and equity. The Presidency has presented a shamefully weak text that fails to mention fossil fuels, fails to deliver accountability towards rich countries’ finance obligations, and only makes vague promises on adaptation. The Belém Action Mechanism for a just transition needs to be protected at all costs in the final hours. But let’s be clear, we need all of these pillars to work together in one package: the just transition, public finance, and planning for a fair fossil fuel phaseout.
“A large group of countries have been vocal in their support for a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels, but rich parties are still refusing to deliver the debt-free public finance on fair terms that is key to make it happen. Until they stop blocking efforts to address the systemic barriers developing countries face to phasing out fossil fuels, any roadmap will be a dead-end.”
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