Amsterdam, Netherlands, 16 September 2024 – Reacting to at least eight deaths following the worst floods in nearly three decades across Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, affecting hundreds of thousands and damaging homes and bridges, caused by torrential rains as part of a low-pressure system “Boris”.

Ian Duff, Head of Greenpeace International’s Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign said:

“Greenpeace is horrified by damages brought by floods across Central and Eastern Europe, claiming lives, leaving homes without power and farmers with ruined fields, after being already ravaged by drought. Such events will only get worse until oil and gas giants like Shell, Total, Equinor, Exxon, OMV and ENI are forced to stop drilling for the fossil fuels that are driving climate change.”

“We applaud the first responders who saved lives over the weekend, including an Austrian firefighter who lost his life. Leaders like Donald Tusk, Petr Fiala, and Marcel Ciolacu must reciprocate this courage by ending European support for fossil fuels and making climate polluters pay for this disaster.”

“As this disaster unfolds in Europe, Southeast Asia and West and Central Africa are also reeling from deadly floods and torrential rains, while parts of Latin America and Southern Africa are battling their worst drought in decades. The fossil fuel industry is worsening weather extremes everywhere and its time to hold it to account.”