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KAIROS Press Release
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(Toronto - April 19, 2002) - The Very Reverend the Honourable Lois Wilson - a former Moderator of the United Church of Canada, who retired from a distinguished tenure in the Canadian Senate last week - will question Imperial Oil's policies with regard to climate change and future energy options at the company's Annual General Meeting at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at 11 AM on Tuesday, April 23.
Speaking on the proxy of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, the Very Rev. Hon. Wilson will focus attention on Imperial Oil's record in comparison to that of other fossil fuel companies that are pursuing more ecologically-sustainable energy alternatives.
This shareholder intervention by a prominent church leader, respected for her leadership within the Senate on a number of pressing social issues, is part of a climate change action campaign by Canadian churches through KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. The campaign calls on the Canadian government to ratify and implement the Kyoto Protocol, which commits Canada to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 6% below 1990 levels.
The campaign also targets Imperial Oil -- one of Canada's largest integrated petroleum producers -- which opposes ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. While Imperial Oil admits that climate change "may pose a legitimate long-term risk", management has so far failed to make substantive decisions to lessen this risk by developing alternative, renewable energy sources.
The Very Rev. Hon. Lois Wilson will question Imperial Oil as to what specific targets and timetables it is prepared to set for both investment in and production of alternative renewable energy sources, arguing this is "an important direction not only for the health of our planet but also for the economic viability of the company."
Also attending the Imperial Oil shareholders meeting with the Very Rev. Hon. Lois Wilson will be Dr. David Hallman, Nancy Palardy and Bill Davis of the Ecological Justice Programme of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. Dr. Hallman is also Coordinator of the World Council of Churches Climate Change Programme, and Energy & Environment Programme Officer for the United Church of Canada.
This shareholder intervention will take place at Imperial Oil's annual meeting at: Metro Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West, Toronto Tuesday, April 23, 2002 at 11:00 AM.
Background
Information on the KAIROS-led Climate Change Action Campaign is available here.
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives is a new ecumenical partnership that brings together the former Aboriginal Rights Coalition, the Canada Asia Working Group, the Ecumenical Coalition for Economic Justice, Inter-Church Action for Development, Relief and Justice, the Inter-Church Coalition on Africa, the Inter-Church Committee for Human Rights in Latin America, the Inter-Church Committee for Refugees, PLURA, the Taskforce on the Churches and Corporate Responsibility and TEN DAYS for Global Justice.
KAIROS is formed by the Anglican Church of Canada, Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops: Social Affairs Commission, Canadian Religious Conference, Christian Reformed Church in North America, Mennonite Central Committee of Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Presbyterian Church in Canada, Primates World Relief and Development Fund, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and the United Church of Canada.
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