The Beyond Oil Campaign

In 2015, the Beyond Oil Campaign evolved from the Tar Sands Campaign. It is the current focus of much of CorpEthics’ work. The goal of this campaign is to radically reduce the production, transport, and ultimately the supply of domestic oil in North America. The campaign continues to be focused on blocking the development of new or expanded tar sands pipelines in the U.S. However, it has expanded to include efforts to block oil terminals and refinery expansions on the West Coast that are ultimately part of the industry strategy to expand oil exports to Asia. The campaign’s highest priority is stopping all new oil and gas leases in the Arctic, Atlantic, and Gulf.

CorpEthics’ role in the campaign continues to be strategic development, coordination, managing the grant-making process, and serving as advisers to the foundations that underwrite this campaign. The campaign so far has been remarkably successful. Thanks to the tireless and bold efforts of a number of NGOs like EarthJustice, Alaska Wilderness League, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Oceana, and dozens of others, Shell decided to withdraw from all future oil and gas drilling in the Arctic. The continued organizing work of groups like Oceana led the Administration to exempt the Atlantic from all new oil and gas leases. The Arctic and Gulf are now the campaign’s top priorities.

The campaign has also funded the remarkable crude by rail organizing work of groups like Stand, Communities for a Better Environment, Sierra Club, Washington Environmental Council, and dozens of others. As a result, virtually every single oil terminal or refinery expansion proposed in Washington, Oregon, and California have been blocked. This effort continues, but as the price of oil remains low, a window of opportunity has opened for doing the near impossible – stopping all major new oil infrastructure aimed at expanding our exports to Asia.