Climate change denial gives fossil fuel interests strong reasons to support the far right, which links the issues of Palestine, anti-racism and climate justice, argues Nandita Lal

The recent far-right unrest in the UK, which many attribute to the actions and rhetoric of Nigel Farage, exposes a disturbing intersection between climate change denial, fossil fuel industry interests and right-wing extremism. Farage’s party, Reform UK, which is financially backed by fossil fuel industry donors such as Terence Mordaunt and Jeremy Hosking, spreads climate change disinformation. By downplaying the importance of achieving net zero emissions, Farage’s party is helping to protect the fossil fuel industry’s profits while delaying meaningful climate action. This tactic is not unique to Farage; major oil companies such as Shell, Chevron, BP and ExxonMobil similarly benefit from delaying climate action because net zero poses an existential threat to them.

The financial gains of these companies are staggering while the world suffers from war and wildfires. In the second quarter of 2023, Shell reported a profit of 5 billion pounds ($6.3 billion) and has paid out 18 billion pounds ($23 billion) to shareholders since June 2023 – while the world has exceeded the critical warming limit of 1.5°C. BP reported similar gains, posting a profit of 2.2 billion pounds ($2.8 billion) in the second quarter.

It’s not just about reform. Fossil fuel groups have won over many British politicians. A group called Onward, funded by BP, Shell and Equinor, was the Sunak government’s favourite think tank in 2023. The new Labour government will be won over in a similar way. Fossil fuel industry lobbyists and an energy company donated over £45,000 to the new Labour MPs, according to the first update to the register of MPs’ financial interests since the election.

The far-right movement in Britain has also targeted pro-Palestinian activists. For example, far-right groups disrupted a pro-Palestinian march in London on Armistice Day in November last year. Tommy Robinson, who announced the disruption, portrayed it as a defense of Britain against perceived outside influences, to show that “Britain has not fallen.”

The history of Palestine is closely linked to the oil economy and Western imperialism. This underscores the need for solidarity between the struggle for a free Palestine and the fight against the climate crisis. Environmental groups such as Fossil Free London and Just Stop Oil have openly expressed this connection and organized protests highlighting how companies are profiting from the crisis in Gaza.

In a recent action, Fossil Free London blockaded BP’s headquarters to protest the company’s involvement in securing gas supplies from Gaza. This pattern of profiteering was evident just weeks after Israel’s invasion of Gaza in October 2023, when Israel awarded new drilling contracts to companies such as Eni and BP.

The struggle for the liberation of Palestine and the global struggle against fossil fuel imperialism are closely linked. Far-right unrest and the record convictions of Stop Oil protesters are another arm of this global struggle.