Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS JUST STOP OIL?
Just Stop Oil is a group of ordinary people in civil resistance to ensure that the government commits to phasing out fossil fuels in the UK by 2030.
What does Just Stop Oil want?
We demand that the UK government commits to working with other nations to establish a legally binding treaty to stop extracting and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030 as well as supporting and financing poorer countries to make a fast, fair, and just transition. This can be accomplished by endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative and seeking a negotiating mandate to establish the treaty.
Why do we need to phase out fossil fuels?
We have already passed 1.5°C of global heating and are expected to pass 2°C in the 2030s. The catastrophic effects are increasingly being felt in poor countries and communities across the world. Innocent people already face unlivable conditions. Drowning in their homes. Overheating in the streets. Starving as crops fail. Burning more fossil fuels will kill hundreds of millions of people and tip us into societal collapse. We urgently need all countries to phase out the production and use of fossil fuels.
What are you going to do?
We are willing to take part in nonviolent civil resistance to put pressure on the UK government to act on the climate crisis in order to protect our families and communities. We are going to cause disruption, making our demand unignorable.
What is nonviolent civil resistance?
Civil resistance is a powerful way for people to nonviolently demand their rights, freedom, and justice. When people wage nonviolent civil resistance, they use tactics such as strikes, boycotts, mass protests and disruption to withdraw their cooperation from the state. We are willing to take part in nonviolent direct action, day after day, week after week, until our demand is met.
We take all possible steps to ensure that no-one’s safety is compromised by our actions.
Will there be arrests?
Probably, yes. There is a long established tradition in the UK of citizens who take action to prevent greater harm when they recognise that the state is acting immorally. In failing to act against entrenched fossil fuel interests and continuing to support the fossil fuel economy our government is directly harming us, therefore we are asserting our legal right and moral duty to act.
Who funds you? Where does the money go?
Critical seed funding for Just Stop Oil was provided by Climate Emergency Fund and Adam McKay in 2022 and 2023. Just Stop Oil is now largely backed by small donations from the public, although the Climate Emergency Fund continues to contribute.
Apart from tea and sandwiches we use the funds to organise, pay accommodation, and travel costs, and provide a hardship fund for supporters where possible.
How do I get involved?
Attend one of our in-person meetings happening all over the country or jump into a Zoom meeting if there isn’t one near you.