FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2020
Contact:
David Turnbull, david [at] priceofoil [dot] org
Collin Rees, collin [at] priceofoil [dot] org
No Fossil Fuel Money pledge reaches 2000 signers
Rejecting fossil cash now a minimum standard for climate leadership
Just two and a half years since it was launched, the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge has garnered its 2000th signer this week, with the signing of the pledge by U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker in Kentucky.
Launched in July of 2017 by a coalition of national and state-based organizations seeking to combat the role of fossil fuel industry money in state and national politics, the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge has seen a rapid rise in prominence at all levels of politics in the U.S.
“Rejecting the influence of the fossil fuel industry is now a minimum standard for any Democrat seeking office, and certainly any candidate wishing to be seen as a climate champion. We’re thrilled to see fossil fuel money going the way of tobacco money — it’s toxic to our democracy, our communities, and our climate,” said David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director with Oil Change U.S., one of the key organizations supporting the pledge efforts.
A few key statistics regarding the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge signers:
- Candidates in 49 states plus the District of Columbia have signed the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge. (North Dakota is the only remaining state without a signer.)
- Every remaining major candidate in the Democratic Presidential primary has signed the pledge, meaning the eventual nominee will be a No Fossil Fuel Money pledge signer. (Deval Patrick, a former Texaco executive and latecomer to the Democratic race, has declined to sign the pledge thus far. He is polling at less than one percent.)
- Over 50 sitting members of Congress have signed the pledge.
- Some 550 sitting officeholders have taken the pledge across the country, at various levels of government.
- 29 Republican candidates have taken the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge, largely at the local and state levels.
“From local council elections to the presidential race, fossil fuel executives are always looking to exert influence and protect their bottom line. With billions in taxpayer subsidies at stake and a growing movement standing up to out-of-control fossil fuel expansion, it’s no wonder Big Oil tries to buy political favor,” said Collin Rees, Senior Campaigner with Oil Change U.S. “That’s why the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge is so important — it’s a statement to communities that the signer will stand up and fight back against the big polluters wrecking the planet.”
The full list of No Fossil Fuel Money pledge signers can be found here: http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/pledge-signers/
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