7 Months, 7 Countries, One Mission: Stop Fossil Gas

Escaping the Gas Trap

Fossil gas is an expensive and dangerous trap. It fuels the climate crisis, keeps Europe dependent on autocrats and bullies like Putin and Trump, and drives up energy bills for families. Europe doesn't need more fossil gas terminals, drilling projects or pipelines. What we need is a fast and fair shift to renewable energy and real energy independence.

That's why Greenpeace organisations across Europe took action this year: protesting, blocking and demonstrating against fossil gas infrastructure from Spain to Belgium, from Italy to Poland. Together, they connected local fights into an international movement, sending a clear message: wherever corporations and complicit governments try to expand fossil gas, they will meet resistance.

The Journey

Spain: Standing up to Russian gas

The tour kicked off in Avilés, where the Arctic Sunrise opened its decks to the public and joined local activists to protest the arrival of a Russian liquified gas (LNG) shipment.

Belgium: Exposing the LNG trap

Next stop: Belgium, where activists protested the arrival of Russian and US LNG tankers carrying dirty fossil gas to Europe. The port of Zeebrugge is one of Europe's main gas import hubs, making it a symbol of Europe's dangerous fossil gas dependency, and the activists made it clear that neither Russian nor US gas is welcome here.

Italy: No more toxic deals with Trump

In Venice, hundreds of locals and tourists joined the open boat days as the ship docked in the historic city. Soon after, Greenpeace Italy led an action at the new Ravenna LNG terminal, exposing Prime Minister Meloni's toxic plan to import even more US fracked gas.

Croatia: When they go low, we climb high

In Pula, Greenpeace Croatia activists climbed up a 135-metre fossil gas platform to demand an end to new gas projects. The team also visited the sunken drilling platform Ivana D to expose the dangers and pollution the gas industry leaves behind.

Greece: Communities against gas

In Heraklion and Volos, people came aboard to learn how fossil gas threatens their coasts and climate. Between the open boat events, Greenpeace Greece led an action at the Alexandroupolis LNG terminal, standing with communities resisting yet another destructive gas project.

Poland: No turning back on Russian pipeline gas

In autumn, the Arctic Sunrise went up north to the Baltic Sea where Greenpeace Poland activists dove 50 meters down to the Nord Stream pipelines. Designed to transport Russian gas to Europe, these pipelines are currently inactive. Yet, Europe is still buying gas from Putin's regime, fueling Russia's war on Ukraine.⁣ The activists sent a clear message: Europe must stop importing Russian gas, whether through pipelines or LNG tankers.

Germany: An island resists the gas expansion

After an open boat event on the Arctic Sunrise in Stralsund (Baltic Sea), the ship tour continued on the Greenpeace sail ship Witness. On the North Sea island of Borkum, actor Philip Froissant and political content creator Fabian Grishkat met with local communities and travelled to the nearby gas fields. Opening new gas drilling sites in the middle of the climate crisis is a reckless political choice that people on Borkum have opposed for years.

Belgium: 29 hours on the water

The fossil-free ship tour ended with a bold action in Belgium's LNG hub, Zeebrugge. Greenpeace activists from across Europe blocked the terminal on board the Witness and with dozens of kayaks. At least two LNG ships were delayed or had to change course. It was a powerful finale that sent a clear message: the fossil gas era must end.

Hope and resistance

In seven months, the Stop Fossil Gas Ship Tour brought thousands of people together to expose a danger too often ignored: Europe's dependence on fossil gas. Millions engaged with the tour's message online and helped spread it further. More than 100,000 people have already signed an open letter to EU leaders and member states, demanding a ban on new fossil fuel projects in Europe and a full phase-out of fossil gas by 2035 at the latest.

The resistance keeps growing and so does hope. Renewables are the way out of Europe's fossil fuel dependency. They are the key to affordable energy for families, a safer planet, and a livable future for our children.

Join this vision of a fossil-free future and sign the open letter now.