Climate activists dressed as zombies gathered outside a number of insurance firms to call on the industry to stop insuring new fossil fuel projects.
Activists from Extinction Rebellion Scotland held “zombie dances” outside the Glasgow offices of insurance firms Howden, AIG and AXA, all of which they said provide insurance to fossil fuel projects.
As well as performances of the Killer Drillers – a Michael Jackson-inspired dance routine – the protesters also heard speeches and a musical performance, and chanted “No more gas, no more oil, keep the carbon in the soil”.
The activists described insurance as the “weak spot” in the fossil fuel industry, and said firms could be “climate heroes” if they chose not to insure projects.
Lois Legendre, 44, senior engineer and climate activist, said: “The UN’s ‘Code Red for Humanity’ should be clear enough, we should have transitioned off fossil fuel decades ago, having new fossil projects now, in 2024, is pure insanity.
“Insurance is the weak spot that could stop the fossil fuel industry from digging and drilling for more oil, gas and coal.
“The insurance industry can see the costs of the extreme weather events that are already flooding our homes, destroying our food supply and threatening to kill billions in our lifetimes.
“They can be climate heroes by refusing to prop up the fossil fuel industry and help save our entire civilisation, and the biosphere that we rely on for life.
“We demand these companies and the entire insurance industry immediately stop insuring all new oil, gas and coal projects – and we’ll keep coming back until they do.”
The protest was part of the Extinction Rebellion Insure our Survival campaign, which will see protests taking place across the UK this week.
A spokesperson for Howden said: “We are aware of protest action targeting a number of UK insurance companies this week. We have taken steps to ensure the security of our premises and the safety of our employees and visitors.
“Howden is committed to playing an active role in the transition to net zero, and we believe that we can have more impact by working with clients to accelerate their decarbonisation than by disengaging from them.
“We have invested significantly in developing the solutions and driving the change needed for our industry to play its crucial role in derisking both the continued development of alternative energy sources and the decarbonisation of existing.”
AIG and AXA have been asked for comment.
