| Kathleen, there's a new global threat to our future that is fueling the climate crisis, and you're probably not paying attention to it. It's called Bitcoin.
We're sounding the alarm today with a groundbreaking new report and a call to action for the major banks, asset managers, and payment processors who are enabling this growing threat.
In a moment, I'm going to ask you to help us pressure these companies into taking action to stop Bitcoin's pollution. But first, please let me explain why it's so important that you start paying attention to Bitcoin's climate destruction.
Bitcoin — the world's largest digital currency — consumes as much electricity as entire countries due to its energy-hungry code. 62% of that electricity came from fossil fuels globally last year, and coal was the largest single source.
This technology has revived decommissioned coal-fired and fossil fuel power plants, generated substantial air, water, and noise pollution across the planet, and is rolling back the hard-won progress we've made on cutting global carbon emissions. Bitcoin's climate destruction is expected to keep growing as mainstream financial institutions make it easier to use.
Greenpeace USA's new report exposes nine of the major financial institutions who make Bitcoin's pollution possible by investing in its expansion: BlackRock, Fidelity, Vanguard, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
All nine of these companies are accelerating Bitcoin's climate destruction, and all nine have failed to take meaningful action to solve this problem despite making climate and sustainability pledges — but BlackRock and Chase are the two worst offenders.
Sign this petition to tell BlackRock and Chase to honor their climate pledges and stop enabling Bitcoin's pollution: Kathleen, there is no CEO of Bitcoin — it's a decentralized technology, which means these companies are the key toward reducing Bitcoin's electricity consumption and pollution.
By collectively investing over $1.5 billion dollars into the Bitcoin mining industry and providing numerous services and investments to their customers, BlackRock, Chase, and the other companies in our report are directly contradicting their climate commitments.
But they have the power and resources to push for a change to Bitcoin's code that would eliminate nearly 100% of its electricity consumption (something the world's second-largest digital currency has already done). This is a rare opportunity to eliminate a massive amount of fossil fuel use without needing to replace it with another energy source.
Greenpeace USA is calling on all nine of these companies to publicly acknowledge Bitcoin's pollution, publicly support a change to Bitcoin's code, work with us to help change Bitcoin's code, and to pause further Bitcoin expansion until Bitcoin's climate destruction is addressed.
Help us demand accountability and action: sign our petition now to tell BlackRock and Chase to address Bitcoin's climate problem before it's too late!
It's not enough to have climate goals and pledges — financial institutions must enforce them and live up to their promises. Inaction is not an option.
In solidarity,
Joshua Archer
Bitcoin Project Lead, Greenpeace USA
PS: Click here to read our groundbreaking new report, Investing in Bitcoin's Climate Pollution: Big Finance is Betting on Dirty Bitcoin. | | Investing in Bitcoin's Climate Pollution: Big Finance is Betting on Dirty Bitcoin  | | | | |
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