Activists Call on AIG to End Support for Fossil Fuels as Part of Summer of Heat

June 26, 2024

Activists Call on AIG to End Support for Fossil Fuels as Part of Summer of Heat

NEW YORK - In the hot afternoon sun, activists from the Gulf Coast and Public Citizen marched on the headquarters of American International Group, Inc. (AIG) calling on the insurer to end its insurance coverage for and investments in fossil fuels. The activists specifically called on AIG to cease its coverage for several liquified natural gas (LNG) facilities and projects along the Gulf Coast.

"Despite AIG's human rights and climate commitments, the company continues to insure leaky polluting methane plants," said Rick Morris, insurance campaigner with Public Citizen's Climate Program. "For years now AIG has ignored Gulf Coast communities' requests for a meeting to discuss the impacts of oil and gas development on their health and livelihoods. In today's hot summer sun, we are linking arms with frontline community leaders to make our demands loud and clear: It's time for AIG to insure our future - not fossil fuels."

The activists rallied outside of the insurance giant as part of the Summer of Heat, a sustained series of nonviolent civil disobedience intended to end financing for fossil fuels and fossil fuel infrastructure.

Outside of AIG, the activists held a series of speeches that included speakers from communities along the Gulf of Mexico affected by LNG infrastructure.

"Projects that kill our communities would not exist without the backing of financial institutions," said Roishetta Ozane, founder of the Vessel Project founder and Gulf fossil finance coordinator with the Texas Campaign for the Environment."Money made from them is blood money. Since they destroy our homes we're coming to pay them a visit. We will break this cycle of violence and exploitation now because later is too late."

"Until you've seen the devastation these facilities have caused, it may be easy to overlook our region and the reason we're bringing our communities to New York for the Summer of Heat," said Autumn Fain, coastal bend exports organizer in Corpus Christi for the Texas Campaign for the Environment."That's why we prioritized getting over 200 people from the Gulf South up. We are tired of people treating our communities as if we're voiceless. We are here to use our exhausted but strong and loud voices to demand dirty banks and insurers stop funding dirty projects threatening the livelihood of the people and places we love."

The action is part of three months of daily protests in the New York area against the finance industry's lack of meaningful action to roll back investments in and underwriting of fossil fuels.

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