Activists host "Make Rich Polluters Pay” game show at COP29 to expose big polluters

Climate activists today added a dramatic twist to the COP29 summit with a live game show called Make Polluters Pay. As the United Nations climate finance negotiations entered their final days in Baku, activists took center stage at the summit conference venue. Dressed as fossil fuel executives, they theatrically shoveled fake "money" into a symbolic Loss and Damage Fund, highlighting the urgent need for rich countries to pay up on climate finance.

“For eight years, I’ve fought to make powerful nations listen and pay what they owe to countries like mine, Uganda — nations that barely contribute to global warming but endure its most brutal consequences. Yet, COP after COP, they cater to fossil fuel lobbyists profiting from our pain,” said Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, climate activist and founder of Fridays for Future Uganda.  

“I’m tired of returning to Kampala empty-handed, only to witness floods, droughts, and mudslides devastate my people. Rich polluters must pay now — our futures and our survival depend on it,” added Nakabuye.

The demonstration showcased the urgency of the discussions, where negotiators are scrambling to agree on a new climate finance goal for 2025-30.  By theatrically tipping the “scales of climate justice,” the activists aimed to remind world leaders that the money must be shifted from the coffers of the fossil fuel industry to those who need it the most. 

A recent Oxfam report finds that the emissions of the richest 1 percent are already causing massive destruction. They have caused global economic output to fall by $2.9 trillion since 1990, with the biggest impact being in countries least responsible for climate breakdown. For example, Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa will lose 3 percent and 2.4 percent respectively. High-income countries, on the other hand, will accrue economic gains.