Stand.earth statement on ‘foreign funding’ accusations

May 14, 2019

This rhetoric over our organization’s funding feeds into the increasingly divisive and xenophobic discourse sweeping our globe. “Foreign-funded” is a term intended to tap into peoples’ fear of the other — a dangerous game to play.

This post was updated to include 2020 financial and membership information.

At Stand.earth, we remain committed to our work to stop climate change — especially in the face of the recent United Nations report giving the world just over a decade to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and keep Earth’s warming below 1.5 degrees celsius to ensure a livable climate for future generations. 

Let us be clear. We’re not saying the oil and gas industry should be shut down overnight. But we ARE pushing Canada for an exit plan from its reliance on the oil and gas industry — one that’s fair to workers and communities. 

If we want to ensure a safe future for our children, we know the global oil and gas industry can’t continue to expand. We can’t build a single new oil and gas megaproject — not in Canada, not in the U.S., and not in the rest of the world. 

That means we remain committed to stopping the Trans Mountain Pipeline — and any expansion of the tar sands. We have read the science, we understand the analysis, and we know the world simply cannot afford to burn all of the oil in the tar sands.