David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 02/10/2026When you have been warned that you’re possibly breaking climate provisions in two free trade agreements (the EU and UK ones), it’s a great move for you as Prime Minister to respond to a complaint filed about you breaking one (with the EU) by insulting the former ambassador of the other (the UK)… 010
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 02/10/2026...especially to fund crisis response measures, to protect people and help enable a (more) just transition in the context of crisis. But, yup, absolutely, taxing profits is not a substitute for phaseout. 200
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 02/10/2026And also – yup, agreed that we don't want governments to rely on fossil fuel revenues for core services. But we also don't want oil and gas companies to build their power by pocketing superprofits while people suffer in fossil fuel energy crises. So, we support taxes on windfall profits... 200
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 02/10/2026For 1.5ºC, a lot of the oil, gas, and coal in already developed fields and mines must stay in the ground – 60% last time we did the numbers. Burning just the oil, gas, and coal in developed, operating fields and mines now would take us past 2ºC. So, yup, agreed. No new extraction. 100
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 02/10/2026I think you're objecting to me + OCI supporting windfall profits taxes, and something implying that means we would support new projects (which we don't) if they're taxed? We need a full, fair, fast, and funded phase out of all fossil fuel production and use, starting with no new extraction. 200
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 02/10/2026It is hilarious that Todd McClay fairly obviously confused Fernando Hernandez Espino of Both Ends with Francisco Hernandez of the Greens but neither he nor Luxon will admit it. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...rnz.co.nzChristopher Luxon walks back 'bizarre claim' about the GreensChristopher Luxon has walked back claims made by one of his ministers about the Greens, before then suggesting - wrongly - that they originated from the media. 512240
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 30/09/2026But that's nonsense. If you break a deal with someone and face consequences, that's on you – especially when you had been warned. 021
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 30/09/2026It is, however, surprising to see credible journalists uncritically republishing ministers' bad faith attacks on New Zealand civil society organisations. Instead of accepting responsibility for breaking their trade deal with the EU, ministers are choosing to blame critics. 130
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Why? Because leaked and accidentally released unredacted documents showed that government advisers warned ministers that their bonfire of climate policies could breach the NZ-EU FTA – and they went ahead and doubled-down on their retrograde backsliding nonsense anyway. 120
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 30/09/2026It's no shock that a European civil society organisation has filed a complaint about the New Zealand government's breach of the #climate provisions in its free trade deal with the EU, nor that legal academics, NGOs, and Māori activists backed it. newsroom.co.nz/2026/09/30/f...newsroom.co.nzFormal complaint that NZ climate backsliding breaches Europe trade dealThe Government's top law officer warned that if ministers blocked Mike Smith's Fonterra lawsuit, the next case would target the Crown directly. She's been proven right, reports Jonathan Milne. 120
Reposted by David TongOil Change International @oilchange.org · 24/09/2026NEW REPORT: TotalEnergies’ LNG into Europe risks European security, affordability, and climate goals. 13121
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 24/09/2026That risks Europe's security, energy affordability, and climate goals. Read the full report: oilchange.org/publications...oilchange.orgTotal Insecurity: How TotalEnergies' LNG Trade Puts France and Europe at Risk - Oil Change InternationalEurope’s best path to achieving security, affordability, and climate goals is to equitably phase out fossil fuels, accelerate energy efficiency, and 000
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 24/09/2026TotalEnergies is Europe’s biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) importer (3x more than it's next rival!) But 71% of TotalEnergies' LNG into Europe in 2025 came from the US and Russia – while Putin and Trump attack and threaten Europe. 100
Reposted by David TongFossil Fuel Treaty Initiative @fossiltreaty.bsky.social · 02/09/2026The science is clear: Overshooting 1.5 is Armageddon for the Pacific. 🚨📣 As Pacific leaders gather in Palau, a new UNEP report highlights the existential threat facing island nations. With sea-level rise threatening fisheries and GDP, the need for a just transition grows even more urgent. 11712
Reposted by David TongCenter for International Environmental Law @ciel.org · 02/09/2026A new @unep.org report warns of massive risk from exceeding 1.5°C global warming. Yet it fails to put a fast, fair, funded fossil fuel phase-out at the center of how governments fulfill their legal obligations. Here’s why that’s a problem. 🧵 14731
Reposted by David TongClimate Action Tracker @climateactiontracker.org · 11/06/20261/ The US–Israel war on Iran has once again put #EnergySecurity at the centre of geopolitical tensions. It is the third major shock to the global energy system this decade, exposing the vulnerabilities of fossil fuel-dependent economies. But this crisis is different. 69110
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 30/05/2026Let's be blunt for a moment here: Taxing people's electricity use to subsidise an uneconomic LNG terminal is like taxing fruit and vegetables to subsidise a cigarette factory. rnz.co.nz/news/busines...rnz.co.nzLNG imports not needed for dry year cover, Meridian saysA proposal to import LNG is being looked at by the government as a way to generate power when hydro levels are low and renewables cannot meet demand. 081
Reposted by David TongOil Change International @oilchange.org · 29/05/2026 In Paris, many gathered outside the meeting to highlight the harmful impacts of TotalEnergies’ East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), Mozambique Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Export Terminal, and more – paid for by billions of euros of French people's savings. 051
Reposted by David TongOil Change International @oilchange.org · 29/05/2026As Big Oil company TotalEnergies held its annual meeting in Paris, people rallied in a Week of Action across Africa, Europe, and Latin America with nearly 70 actions in 20 countries to push back on polluting companies, demanding they cease operations and fix past harms. 172
Reposted by David TongOil Change International @oilchange.org · 28/05/2026Unless leaders change course, fossil fuel investment will rise and clean energy investment stagnate. Fossil fuel executives make billions from war + suffering, while it's energy insecurity + higher bills for us. Renewable energy is faster to build, cheaper + more secure oilchange.org/news/in-resp...oilchange.orgIn response to the International Energy Agency’s annual World Energy Investment Report - Oil Change InternationalThe International Energy Agency’s annual World Energy Investment (WEI) Report is the world’s most authoritative assessment of where energy finance is flowing 0199
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Governments can step in to tax, regulate, and even end these war profiteers and climate arsonists. 000
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Our governments can intervene. Polling shows that taxing these windfall war profits and taking back these companies' dirty conflict cash is hugely popular in several wealthy headquarters nations. australiainstitute.org.au/post/tax-gas...australiainstitute.org.auTax gas exports, invest in health/aged care - new pollsFive news polls conducted for The Australia Institute reveal an overwhelming majority of Australians want a gas export tax to fund improvements in services like health and aged care. 100
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 26/05/2026There are signs that some companies deliberately bet on increasing oil and gas prices as Trump and Netanyahu launched their assault, with their trading arms buying so much that their purchases themselves could have contributed to the price spikes. It doesn't have to be that way. 100
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 26/05/2026This year, in just the first month after Trump and Netanyahu began their illegal assault on Iran, the world’s top 100 oil and gas producers banked an estimated more than $30 million every hour in extra war profits. www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.com$30m an hour: big oil reaping huge war windfall from consumers, analysis findsExclusive: Climate action blockers including Saudi Arabia, Russia and major fossil fuel firms set to make extra $234bn by end of 2026 122
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 26/05/2026In 2022, five of the largest big oil and gas companies made USD 200 billion as people struggled to pay their energy bills, after Russia began its illegal war against Ukraine. www.cnbc.com/2023/02/08/b...cnbc.comBig Oil rakes in record profit haul of nearly $200 billion, fueling calls for higher taxesAltogether, the five Big Oil companies reported combined profits of $196.3 billion last year, more than the economic output of most countries. 100
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Big oil and gas companies are war profiteers. As people die, they make bank. Read full >> oilchange.org/blogs/big-oi...oilchange.orgBig Oil’s War Profiteering Must End - Oil Change InternationalAs people lose their lives in Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal war on Iran, Big Oil is cashing in. 110
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 25/05/2026Make it make sense: New Zealand’s government plans to tax regular New Zealanders’ electricity bills to pay for an uneconomic gas import terminal AND plans to subsidise loans for big businesses to transition away from gas. 063
Reposted by David TongOil Change International @oilchange.org · 18/05/2026🚨🚨BREAKING: Texas community leaders are in Tokyo to file a first-of-a-kind series of coordinated complaints against the Japanese financial institutions that backed Freeport LNG, a dangerous, polluting liquified natural gas (LNG) project near their homes 🚨🚨 25633
Reposted by David TongOil Change International @oilchange.org · 14/05/2026🚨Our new report with @foescot.bsky.social and Transition Economics shows what Reform UK's climate policy rollback would actually cost: nearly 500,000 jobs destroyed within 3 years. That's comparable to almost every teacher in the UK losing their job. Read more here: bit.ly/49LLiWW 098
Reposted by David TongLauri Myllyvirta @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social · 16/04/2026A striking difference between the 2021-22 and the current fossil fuel crunches is the IEA's response. This time, not a mention of the actual solutions to cut dependence on fossil fuels - clean energy and electrification. This expert letter calls them out for it. 39039
Reposted by David TongOil Change International @oilchange.org · 22/04/20261/ Here’s a snapshot of tankers currently heading to the U.S. to load up on crude. It took weeks to offload oil already in transit when U.S./Israel attacked Iran. THIS buffered the initial shock. Now that the cushion is gone, the disruption is intensifying. 🧵👇 11817
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 21/04/2026I think my caucus support is so powerful that it's not necessary to talk about it. 280
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 21/04/2026I think my caucus support is so powerful that it's not necessary to talk about it. 1171
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 21/04/2026Nothing says "I'm a confident and secure Prime Minister" like reading a pre-written statement, which includes snarky attacks on the media, then walking out of your press conference without taking questions. 19217
Reposted by David TongOil Change International @oilchange.org · 15/04/2026@recommon.org won't back down and we will stand in solidarity with them! 073
Reposted by David TongLorne Stockman @lornestockman.bsky.social · 06/04/2026Trump's Iran debacle may not be your classic oil grab. But if the US wasn't awash in oil and gas, would it be happening? 043
Reposted by David TongGreenpeace International 🌍 @greenpeace.org · 27/02/20261/7 BREAKING: A US court has just sided with fossil fuel pipeline giant Energy Transfer and ordered Greenpeace International and Greenpeace entities in the US to pay them US$ 345 million. This is a billionaire-backed attack on the right to protest. A thread ⤵️🧵 610168
Reposted by David TongGreenpeace International 🌍 @greenpeace.org · 27/02/2026The same companies fueling climate chaos are flooding us with plastic. Follow the oil. 04223
Reposted by David TongTeresa Ribera @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu · 18/02/2026Ministerial @iea.org meeting, a great opportunity to discuss how to build energy security and availability of key rare esrths and raw materials while affording climate change risks, even if “Global divisions over energy policy widening”, (IEA chief says). giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...giftarticle.ft.comGlobal divisions over energy policy widening, IEA chief saysFatih Birol warns that climate change is ‘moving down the international policy agenda’ 0131
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 28/01/2026Big Oil must be held accountable. 🔗Read the full report: climateintegrity.org/projects/big...climateintegrity.orgBig Oil’s Deceptive Climate Ads | Center for Climate IntegrityHow Four Oil Majors Sold False Promises from 2000-2025 020
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 28/01/2026For 25 years, Big Oil has sold false climate promises while continuing to fuel climate chaos. A new report from @climateintegrity.org examined 300+ ads from BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, & Shell and identified & different categories of deception.climateintegrity.orgBig Oil’s Deceptive Climate Ads | Center for Climate IntegrityHow Four Oil Majors Sold False Promises from 2000-2025 21615
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 20/01/2026Sportwashing is a problem. TotalEnergies fuels suffering and atrocities across Africa. That is precisely why the company does so much in this continent to hide its image behind footballs, billboards, and cheering crowds. backchannel1.substack.com/p/why-total-...backchannel1.substack.comWhy Total Energies should be kicked out of AFCONThe Africa Cup of Nations reminds me why football matters in Africa - and also why major polluters have no place at our showcase event 062
Reposted by David TongKetan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 03/01/2026If you think Trump's comments about capturing oil in V aren't sincere because the country has bad, old and inefficient fossil infrastructure, I regret to inform you that all fossil fuel infrastructure is bad, old and inefficient and none of these people actually care about the process or product 8494101
Reposted by David TongDon Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 03/01/2026Expect to see a lot of this classic Onion headline, from 23 years ago, over the coming weeks. 74162174112
Reposted by David TongReclaim Finance @reclaimfinance.org · 18/12/2025🌡️ Pressure is mounting: After the UK and Dutch export credit agencies (UKEF & Atradius DSB) exited over human rights concerns, financial institutions must now withdraw their support for TotalEnergies’ Mozambique LNG project in Cabo Delgado. 📄 Read the letter ⬇️reclaimfinance.orgFinancial institutions urged to follow UKEF and Atradius DSB in withdrawing from Mozambique LNG - Reclaim FinanceFinancial institutions are being urged to immediately withdraw their financial support from TotalEnergies' Mozambique LNG project in Cabo Delgado 0127
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 24/11/2025This is government for the benefit of big polluters. While excluding the public, Shane Jones and his advisors repeatedly consulted the oil and gas industry, resulting in a new decommissioning regime that shifts the risk back to taxpayers. www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...rnz.co.nzHow the oil and gas industry helped rewrite New Zealand’s drilling rulesA paper trail shows just how far ministers went to accommodate the industry's wishlist, including giving it access to draft laws. 1104
Reposted by David TongBronwen Tucker @bronwentucker.bsky.social · 19/11/2025🚨 In the final days of #COP30, we need to be very clear: 📣A just transition away from fossil fuels needs public money, and rich countries need to pay their fair share 📣 The COP30 presidency risks derailing the entire negotiations by saying otherwise. oilchange.org/news/oil-cha...oilchange.orgOil Change International response to COP30 Presidency claims we don’t need public money for the energy transition - Oil Change InternationalBronwen Tucker, Public Finance lead at Oil Change International, said: “It’s distressing to hear the COP30 Presidency say we don’t need more public funding for the energy transition. 176
David Tong @davidxvx.bsky.social · 18/11/2025Today @ECCHR filed a criminal complaint in France against the Mozambique LNG project sponsor TotalEnergies, for complicity in war crimes and torture. www.bbc.com/news/article...bbc.comFrench energy giant Total faces war crimes allegations over Mozambique massacreTotalEnergies denies responsibility for the actions of local security forces involved in dozens of killings. 074