The world is burning, but fossil fuel companies are meeting behind closed doors to "secure the future of gas". That should be criminal.

France, Nigeria, Finland, South Sudan, Italy, Peru, Romania. What do all these places have in common? These are just some of the countries in which European-based fossil fuel companies have been convicted or credibly accused of criminal, civil or administrative offences. The history of fossil fuels is a litany of criminal charges, from corruption and bribery to human rights abuses and even complicity in war crimes. Most of us only learn about fossil fuel crimes in the news. But for many, the industry's law-breaking is a cold, hard reality, especially for people in communities vulnerable to climate change and countries in the Global South. Proof? Greenpeace Netherlands has compiled the Fossil Fuel Crimes File: Proven Criminal Offenses and Credible Allegations, which contains a sample of 26 proven or credible suspected criminal and civil offenses committed by the 10 most influential European fossil fuel companies from 1989 to the present. The file shows the extent to which illegal activity is ingrained in the fossil fuel industry's DNA, and notes that corruption was the most widespread in the industry among the crimes collected. However, these 26 cases are just a drop in the ocean when it comes to fossil fuel pollution. For every illegal act, there is more destructive and brutal fossil fuel behavior that is perfectly "legal". For example, despite overwhelming evidence that we are in a devastating climate crisis caused by fossil fuels, the fossil fuel industry is recklessly digging in its heels and meeting behind closed doors this week at the European Gas Conference 2023 in Vienna to - in its own words - "secure the future gas". A desperate attempt by big polluters to delay the transition to renewable energy sources.