The €5 trillion bill: Greenpeace exposes the true costs of pollution through an action in Bucharest

Bucharest, October 24, 2025 – This morning, 12 Greenpeace Romania activists brought to the streets what major oil and gas companies have been avoiding for years: the bill for the climate crisis they continue to fuel. In several locations across Bucharest, Greenpeace activists carried out actions to expose the staggering costs of nearly €5 trillion, that six major polluters are passing on to people, communities, and the environment, making society pay the true price of destruction.

Across Bucharest, bus-shelter billboards at Petrom City, Universitate, Piața Romană, and Piața Victoriei were wrapped with a “climate bill”. Its simple and direct message exposes the reality that polluting companies and authorities continue to ignore: while they cash in on profits, citizens are the ones paying the price of floods, droughts, wildfires, and extreme heatwaves.  

According to a new analysis1 on the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC), prepared for Greenpeace by Professor James Rising of the University of Delaware and Dr. Lisa Rennels of Stanford University, the economic damages caused by carbon dioxide emissions linked to six fossil fuel corporations — OMV, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies — amount to a staggering €4.71 trillion. OMV alone is responsible for €102 billion. The estimate represents both current and future economic damages caused by just six major oil and gas companies over a ten-year period, since the signing of the Paris Agreement (2015).

“No one is safe from deadly heatwaves, increasingly frequent floods, unbreathable air, or the social and economic crises fueled by fossil fuels. Major polluting corporations keep profiting, while the rest of us are left to foot the bill for the destruction they leave behind. And those who dare to criticize them become targets of abusive lawsuits meant to intimidate and silence them. We will not be intimidated. We will continue to expose the devastation these companies are causing and for which they must pay. And they will pay.” said Vlad Cătună, Campaign Coordinator at Greenpeace Romania.

The Greenpeace Romania action is part of a global movement, “Stop Drilling, Start Paying,” through which the climate bill is being unveiled in multiple countries — from the United States and Austria to the Philippines, culminating at the UN Global Tax Convention negotiations in Nairobi. 

The environmental organization emphasizes that this event represents a unique opportunity for governments to establish new global regulations that could generate billions of euros to protect people and the planet. Taxing fossil fuel companies can play a crucial role: it holds major polluters accountable for the damage they cause, puts economic pressure on investors and shareholders to change direction, and accelerates the transition away from fossil fuels. At the same time, it can bring significant revenue to state budgets, money that can be used to support the transition to renewable energy, rebuild affected communities, and protect the most vulnerable members of society.

Materials:

Video statement and b-roll:

Photos from the actions:

Notes to editors:

• The analysis uses data from the Carbon Majors Database and the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) methodology. SCC has been used by former U.S. administrations and public policy analysts to assign a dollar value to the future damages caused by an additional ton of CO₂, from the year of emission up to the year 2100. Data on oil and gas company emissions were provided by the Carbon Majors Database, which in turn draws from publicly available company reports.

• Note: The selection of extreme weather events listed in the bill is representative of the global impact. Sources for extreme events in Romania: 2025 floods in Suceava: statement by the President of the Suceava County Council; 2024 floods in Galați: response from the Galați Prefecture to Greenpeace; Agricultural damages (2020–2024): response from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to Greenpeace; Annual flood damage estimates for Romania: Flood Risk Management Plan – Cycle II.