PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Climate Action Rhode Island (CARI) members were in Providence Tuesday morning to announce a new campaign encouraging de-investing from the fossil fuel industry.
This comes after the United Nations released its new climate change report.
“Humanity is on thin ice — and that ice is melting fast,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. “Our world needs climate action on all fronts — everything, everywhere, all at once.”
CARI says Rhode Island is warming faster than the rest of New England and they are calling on the state’s 39 cities and towns and its 100 largest nonprofits to “decarbonize their banking and investments.”
The organization says they are developing a report card on the extent of fossil fuel investment and banking among those entities.
CARI President Justin Boyan said changes need to be made before it’s too late.
“Continued emissions will continue to affect all major climate system components and many changes will be irreversible,” he said.
“Without urgent effective and equitable mitigation and adaptation actions climate change incredibly affects ecosystems biodiversity and the livelihoods, health and well being of our current and future generations,” Boyan continued.
Following the press conference at Providence City Hall, there was a “March to Stop Funding Fossil Fuels” to JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo — three of the biggest funders of the fossil fuel industry.
