Call on your MP to speak out against the Energy Charter Treaty in Parliament next week!
The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is the biggest climate threat you might never have heard of. A treaty which means fossil fuel executives can sue us and stop our governments taking climate action, by holding them to ransom for billions. Critical decisions about this treaty are being made behind closed doors – will you email your MP and call on them to protect our future and exit the ECT?
The ECT gives corporations the right to sue countries that make policy decisions which will affect the corporation's profits. Companies can sue for billions, even if those policy decisions are necessary and urgent actions to tackle climate breakdown. The ECT contains investor state dispute settlement (ISDS), which enables corporations to make these claims against governments in secretive tribunals, outside of national justice systems.
The UK’s membership of the Energy Charter Treaty means UK taxpayers could be forced to pay out billions to fossil fuel companies when this, or any future governments take action to meet our climate goals — like curbing oil and gas extraction, or banning fracking.
For years, negotiations over a proposed reform of the Energy Charter Treaty have dragged on. The reform proposal is now dead in the water because multiple countries and EU institutions have realised that it would still be incompatible with international climate goals.
Spain, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Germany and Luxembourg have all said they will leave the treaty, and EU countries are discussing a coordinated withdrawal from the treaty. That’s great news. But so far, the UK plans to stay.
Will you call on your MP to ramp up pressure on the UK government to #ExitECT today?
