2003/05/28 Stop Sabotaging the Efforts to Curb Global Warming Leaflet handout in front of ExxonMobil Ltd., Headquarter in Japan

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Greenpeace Japan Press Release
May 28, 2003

"Stop Sabotaging the Efforts to Curb Global Warming"
Leaflet handout in front of ExxonMobil Ltd., Headquarter in Japan

in front of ExxonMobil See the action slide show

May 28, 2003 Tokyo: Greenpeace Japan today distributed leaflets to employees of ExxonMobil Ltd. in front of its headquarters in Tokyo. The leaflet titled "Stop Sabotaging the Efforts to Curb Global Warming ? Go to Renewable Energy Operations"(1) was handed out to the employees as they were showing up for work this morning.

It was in conjunction with Greenpeace's action in Texas, USA, as ExxonMobil's Board of Directors and international executives gathered from across the world for today's Annual General Meeting. The purpose of today's leaflet distribution in Tokyo was to inform the employees of ExxonMobil Ltd. Japan and Tonen General Sekiyu K.K.(2) problems and concerns those companies are creating with regard to efforts to curb global warming.

Starting at 8:30 in the morning, Greenpeace Japan staff handed out leaflets for about an hour to approximately 200 workers. Greenpeace Japan submitted on this day, aside from handing out leaflets, collected petitions to the company together with a request to meet with CEO.

Greenpeace conducted on this day worldwide actions against the company including at the international headquarters in the US(3).

ExxonMobil, together with other petroleum industry lobby, pressured Bush administration to withdraw from Kyoto Protocol. Furthermore, ExxonMobil intervened with the selection of the chair of IPCC by pressuring the Whitehouse; for more than 10 years ExxonMobil has tried to undermine international efforts such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change(4).
Japan is the second largest market for ExxonMobil next to the US.

Prior to today's leaflet distribution Greenpeace Japan presented on 22nd of this month 72 letters demanding an end to the company's sabotaging efforts to curb global warming, and requesting to the president of the company a shift to renewable energy. An ExxonMobil's public relations official greeted us, received the letters, and told us that he will have them translated and forward them to Mr. G. W. Pruessing, the company president. Last year, when we tried to present letters to the company in July, the company refused to accept them(5), however, this year, the company showed improved stance in listing to the voice of citizens.

The excerpts of citizens' voice can be viewed at Greenpeace website (in Japanese)(6). The letters presented today were sent to us from the people since the first presentation.
"Stop Esso" cyber-action campaign is ongoing(7).

For more Information:
Greenpeace Japan (phone) :81-3-5338-9800
Keiko SHIROKAWA Press Officer
Ayako SEKINE Climate Campaign:

  1. The leaflet
  2. ExxonMobil Ltd. is a Japanese subsidiary of the oil giant ExxonMobil. Tonen General KK owns more than half of its shares. The two companies share the same address and the same president, G. W. Preussing.
  3. Stop Esso ExxonMobil website
    an article about GPJ's action
    Related Greenpeace International website
  4. For more detail, please visit Greenpeace website
  5. Open letter to the president Preussing on July 9, 2002 (Japanese)
  6. messages in Japanese
  7. Stop Esso Cyberaction Japanese only. For English, please refer http://www.dontbuyexxonmobil.org/