Photo: AFP for Glasgow Actions Team
It’s time to Make Polluters Pay.
For decades, fossil fuel giants and the billionaire class have made trillions in profits while communities around the world pay the price — in floods and fires, droughts and debt. Every dollar of climate damage that goes unpaid is another subsidy for destruction.
It’s time to send the bill where it belongs. At COP30, the world must make polluters pay.
Why this moment matters
COP30, taking place in Belém, Brazil, marks ten years since the Paris Agreement — and a decisive test of whether governments will stand up to corporate power or keep letting polluters off the hook. Temperatures have shattered records, yet oil companies are still posting record profits. The injustice couldn’t be clearer: those most responsible for the crisis continue to profit, while those least responsible suffer the most.
The solution is simple and fair: make polluters pay for the damage they cause and the transition they’ve delayed.
Our Demands
We’re calling on world leaders at COP30 to:
- Make Polluters Pay – new taxes, end subsidies, legislation, regulation and lawsuits to hold oil, gas and goal giants to account.
- Reinvest the money where it’s needed most — in climate-damaged communities, clean energy transitions, and frontline resilience.
- Hold polluters accountable — stop letting Big Oil write off its destruction as the cost of doing business.
A global movement is rising
Momentum to Make Polluters Pay is growing around the world.
- The EU and several member states are debating permanent fossil-fuel windfall taxes.
- Leaders and economists worldwide are backing global levies on Big Oil’s profits — potentially generating hundreds of billions each year for climate solutions.
- Polluter-pay laws are advancing in the United States and Canada.
- Polling across continents shows overwhelming public support: more than 80% of people believe fossil fuel companies should pay for climate damage.
The tide is turning. The world is uniting behind one simple demand: it’s time to Make Polluters Pay.
What COP30 must deliver
At COP30, governments must:
- Establish a global polluter-pays mechanism linked to the new climate finance goal.
- Commit to higher taxes and fees on fossil fuels giants to fund loss and damage.
- Embed the polluter-pays principle in every major decision — from energy transition plans to adaptation finance.
This is our chance to turn outrage into outcomes, and justice into policy.
Join the campaign
The fossil fuel industry won’t pay up on its own — we have to make them.
Here’s how you can help:
- Spread the word online with #MakePollutersPay and #COP30.
- Share your story — are you living with the impacts of climate change? Tell the world why the polluters must pay.
- Pressure your government to champion this cause at COP30.