After eight long, enduring years of asserting their rights to be consulted on the Trans Mountain pipeline and tankers expansion project, the Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, and Coldwater Nations’ legal challenge was denied by the Canadian Supreme Court last week. Their legal challenge was about ensuring Indigenous communities have access to clean drinking water, protecting the Salish Sea from oil tanker accidents and catastrophic oil spills, and defending climate and communities from the impacts of tar sands expansion. The decision by Canada’s top court to decline to hear this case has potentially disastrous consequences for these Nations, and also sets an adverse precedent for rights to consultation for all First Nations. But the fight is far from over. First Nations’ leaders have vowed to continue this fight and the pipeline also still needs key companies to provide insurance coverage to operate — and we have the power to stop it in its tracks.
Send a message to Liberty Mutual, Chubb and AIG today: Stop backing climate chaos! The risks of Trans Mountain are so great that under Canadian federal law, the pipeline cannot transport any oil without insurance. If we can stop the flow of insurance money, we can stop the flow of oil. Right now, several companies are deciding whether to continue insuring this dangerous, climate-wrecking project. If these large insurance companies withdraw their financial support, it could spell the end for the Trans Mountain pipeline, and put any new tar sands projects on watch. And this public pressure is working. Seven insurance companies have already adopted policies on tar sands and recently Talanx Group dropped their insurance for the pipeline following new policies ruling out tar sands insurance entirely. Munich Re has signaled similar overtures. This summer, we’re ramping up pressure on Liberty Mutual and the rest of the remaining Trans Mountain insurers before they decide whether to renew their insurance policies at the end of August. Together, we can make Liberty Mutual, Chubb and AIG act. Speak up now to stop the Trans Mountain pipeline!
In solidarity, Rein Attemann
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