Stop Esso day: Julia Sawalha and Alan Davies

Britain's biggest ever protest against global warming is taking place today. Campaigners took to the forecourts of 400 Esso garages across the country from 11am as part of a national day of action against the US oil giant, which has done more than any other company to sabotage international action on climate change.

Actress Julia Sawalha urged drivers to stop buying Esso petrol at a garage on Chalk Farm Road, Camden, North London. She was joined by comedian Alan Davies and Jamie Catto, founder of the band Faithless. Julia said: "As an individual it's very easy to feel helpless in the face of huge environmental issues, especially global warming. But as I've found today, people are willing to boycott Esso. Lots of cars were beeping their horns and turning away from the garage. I don't buy Esso and won't until they face up to their responsibilities on global warming. We have to make it clear to Esso that we won't be bullied. That's why we're standing up to them."

Alan Davies said: "It was because of Esso that President Bush walked away from the Kyoto global warming treaty. So it's simple, for as long as Esso tries to stop the world from tackling global warming, I'm going to stop buying Esso."

The campaign is a coalition of Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and People & Planet. Esso refuses to accept the scientific consensus that its main products, oil, coal and gas are causing global warming. It backed President Bush to pull America out of the international global warming treaty, the Kyoto Protocol. Bush's new climate plan, set to increase greenhouse gas emissions, echoes Esso's demands.

Since the StopEsso campaign was launched a year ago, thousands have supported it, including political parties, celebrities, other environmental organisations and groups. This week has seen protests across the globe, in the USA, Canada, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Australia, Austria and Belgium. Today will see further protests in Ireland, Spain and Switzerland.

"We've been saying to drivers that if they want to do something about global warming it's simple, don't buy Esso." said Cindy Baxter of StopEsso. "The largest company in the world has a responsibility to take a lead in tackling climate change. The strength of feeling against this company is so strong - hardly surprising given Esso's appalling record of sabotaging efforts to tackle global warming."

Esso's profits last year totalled $15.5 billion but it didn't spend a cent on research into clean renewable energy.

Notes for editors:
Stop Esso Day was organised by a coalition of Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and People & Planet, with active support from The Green Party, Rising Tide, Globalise Resistance, the Womens Environmental Network, the Campaign Against Climate Change and hundreds of members of the public already boycotting Esso.

Further information:
Contact:
The Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255 or
The Stop Esso campaign office on 020 7354 5708