Climate campaigners deliver 2M signatures to UN headquarters

A big week for our planet

You might have seen more news lately about extreme weather and who should pay for climate-related damage. During UN General Assembly week in New York, that question received new attention from campaigners and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The campaign is called Make Polluters Pay. It is a global effort calling for fossil-fuel companies and other major polluters to contribute more toward climate-related costs. Guterres added momentum to that message during his September 22 address to the UN General Assembly.

The UN chief’s powerful message

UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered his final address to the UN General Assembly on September 22. Climate change was one of the major issues he addressed, and he said those who polluted and profited the most must do far more to repair the damage.

His message was direct: “Polluters must pay.” The remarks came one day after campaigners delivered petitions containing more than 2 million signatures to the United Nations.

What does the campaign want?

So, what does the Make Polluters Pay movement actually want? They are asking governments to pass laws requiring fossil-fuel companies to pay taxes on the damage their products cause.

They also want extra taxes on the huge profits these companies make. The money raised would help pay for disaster recovery and support opportunities in transitioning to clean energy like solar and wind power.

More than 2 million signatures delivered

Campaigners and frontline communities brought petitions to the United Nations in New York on September 21, calling for fossil-fuel companies to contribute more toward climate-related costs.

The petitions contained a combined total of more than 2 million signatures. They were presented to Selwin Hart, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Action, as world leaders gathered for the UN General Assembly.

Fun fact: The Make Polluters Pay International Coalition includes organizations such as Greenpeace International, 350.org, Oxfam International, and GreenFaith.

Who is behind the push

This effort is not just the work of one person or group. It is a team effort called the Make Polluters Pay International Coalition. This group includes big names you might know, like Greenpeace International, Oxfam International, and 350.org.

They are working alongside people who live in places already hit hard by climate change. Together, they are trying to shift the conversation from just talking about the problem to making major polluters help pay for the solutions.

The money argument

Campaigners point to the profits earned by major oil companies since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Global Witness calculated that BP, Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies made about $467 billion in combined profits from the start of the invasion through early 2026.

At the same time, households have faced higher costs for necessities, including energy and food. The Make Polluters Pay campaign argues that fossil-fuel companies should contribute more toward the costs of climate damage.

Little-known fact: Global Witness found that the 5 companies’ combined profits rose 125% in 2022, from $87 billion in 2021 to $195 billion.

The open sewer comment

António Guterres has been a strong voice for climate action for years. In his September 22 address to the UN General Assembly, he said Big Oil had treated the atmosphere “as an open sewer” while earning nearly half a trillion dollars since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

He has also called for windfall taxes on fossil-fuel profits. That means governments would take a larger share of extra profits made during a crisis and use the money to help people facing climate damage and higher costs.

What are campaigners saying?

Anne Jellema, executive director of 350.org, said communities have watched homes burn and communities flood while fossil-fuel companies continued to make extraordinary profits.

“We pay. They profit. It’s time to change that,” she said. Jellema pointed to the more than 2 million petition signatures brought to the United Nations and said governments have the power to make polluters pay.

Permanent taxes idea

Mads Christensen, executive director of Greenpeace International, called for the wealthiest polluters to be permanently taxed more to help cover climate-related damage rather than leaving families and communities with the bill.

The wider Make Polluters Pay campaign is calling for binding measures, including climate-damage taxes, surtaxes on fossil-fuel profits, and fines. Campaigners say the money should support recovery, climate adaptation, and a just transition.

A moral and religious call

This is not just about money and politics; it is also about right and wrong. Religious leaders from many different faiths are joining the call for polluters to pay.

Reverend Fletcher Harper from GreenFaith said that every religion teaches that you do not harm your neighbor and walk away. He believes that making families pay for damage caused by big companies is a form of theft, and it needs to stop.

A year of wild weather

The campaign comes after a period marked by devastating wildfires, floods, and other deadly climate-related disasters worldwide.

Scientists have found that human-caused climate change is already affecting many kinds of extreme weather. At the same time, energy experts say dependence on fossil fuels can leave economies exposed to volatile fuel prices. Campaigners argue that expanding clean, renewable energy can reduce that exposure while cutting emissions.

Want to see how global energy politics are shifting, too? Take a look at why countries are moving away from U.S. fossil fuels.

What happens next?

The campaign did not end with Guterres’ speech. Campaigners are now pressing national governments to adopt laws, taxes, and other binding measures that would require major fossil-fuel companies to contribute more toward climate-related costs.

Jamie Henn, a spokesperson for the U.S. Make Polluters Pay Campaign, said other world leaders should follow Guterres’ lead. The broader campaign argues that taxpayers and affected communities should not bear these costs alone.

Curious how one state is trying to make polluters pay? Check out New Jersey’s new push to fine fossil-fuel firms for climate-related costs.

Do you think fossil-fuel companies should pay more for climate damage? Let us know in the comments.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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