'We Won't Be Silenced,' Says Greenpeace as Big Oil Threatens Libel Suit

Greenpeace Italy revealed Wednesday that the Italian multinational energy company Eni is threatening a libel suit against it over reports the organization published about oil and gas companies.

Greenpeace said the potential lawsuit is related to a report on temperature-related premature deaths that may be caused by emissions from oil and gas companies like Eni and a report on the concept of "climate homicide."

"We face yet another act of intimidation by Eni; it seems that threatening defamation lawsuits is the new sport which the company has decided to pursue most enthusiastically. But we won't be silenced," said Chiara Campione of Greenpeace Italy. "This new potential defamation lawsuit follows a similar case initiated by Eni against Greenpeace Italia only a few months ago."

Eni was given an opportunity to respond to the findings of the Greenpeace reports, but the group said Eni offered "no substantive rebuttal" and threatened legal action. The organization claimed other oil and gas companies mentioned in these reports have not threatened legal action.

Greenpeace Italy and the climate advocacy group ReCommon are currently suing Eni over its alleged contributions to the climate crisis. The first hearing for that case occurred last month.

"It has become clear: Eni is trying to silence anyone who dares to speak up and denounce the company's contribution to the fueling of the climate crisis," Campione said.

The multinational oil giant Shell sued Greenpeace in November for alleged damages related to Greenpeace activists boarding one of the company's oil platforms. Shell is trying to get as much as $8.6 million in damages, which Greenpeace says would greatly threaten its ability to campaign.

The French multinational oil and gas company TotalEnergies is also suing Greenpeace France over a report that claimed it underestimated its 2019 greenhouse gas emissions.

Greenpeace said Wednesday that these companies are trying to "stop Greenpeace and other organizations from denouncing the damage the fossil fuel industry is causing to people and the planet."