Faces of resilience: portraits of climate-impacted lives confront big oil

Millions struggle as big oil profits from humanity's loss. So activists took a message directly to oil bosses at a London conference, demanding they pay up for climate crimes.

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This week, the bosses of the most polluting oil companies in the world are meeting at a luxury hotel in London. They’re devising new ways of drilling for more climate wrecking fossil fuels and profiting off the cost of living crisis to keep your bills high.

But these oil executives haven’t had a warm welcome. Hundreds of people have descended on the hotel today to deliver a simple message: Big Oil must pay for their climate crimes.

Greenpeace activists have joined with Fossil Free London and other groups to block the streets around the venue in an attempt to disrupt the event. Greenpeace activists arrived with freestanding images of people in their homes and local environments which have been hit by climate change.

The portraits are taken from Gideon Mendel’s photo series Drowning World. They are not disempowered victims: in their encounter with the camera they invite us to bear witness to the calamity that has befallen them.

Climbers on a building unveil a big black banner with yellow text. The banner reads: Make big oil pay
Campaigners stand outside a hotel, with lined up printed portraits of people in flooded streets and houses.

Portraits from 'Drowning World' by Gideon Mendel

A man is submerged to his shoulders in muddy water while on a street outside a brown door.
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João Pereira de Araújo in Rio Branco, Brazil

Portrait of a man standing waist-deep in water on a flooded street.
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Ahmed in Sindha, Pakistan

Portrait of a woman wearing orange in a doorway of a flooded house
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Adlene Pierre in Gonaïves, Haiti

A woman holds a child, while standing hip deep on a flooded street.
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Anchalee Koyama in Bangkok, Thailand

A man and woman stand in a pink and green doorway, with water up to their knees
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Chinta and Samundri Davi in Bihar, India

Portrait of a woman in her flooded home.
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Gift Ikuru in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

A woman in her flooded home.
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Abhunu Azibageyam in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

A man and a woman stand in flooding on a street corner
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José Alcides dos Santos and Erenilce Lima e Silva in Rio Branco, Brazil

A woman in colourful fabric stands in a stark flooded street.
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Shazada in Bogra District, Bangladesh

Two adults and two children stand outside an ornate gate, bottom deep in water.
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Joseph and Endurance Edem, with their children Godfreedom and Josephine in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

A man is submerged to his shoulders in muddy water while on a street outside a brown door.
Portrait of a man standing waist-deep in water on a flooded street.
Portrait of a woman wearing orange in a doorway of a flooded house
A woman holds a child, while standing hip deep on a flooded street.
A man and woman stand in a pink and green doorway, with water up to their knees
Portrait of a woman in her flooded home.
A woman in her flooded home.
A man and a woman stand in flooding on a street corner
A woman in colourful fabric stands in a stark flooded street.
Two adults and two children stand outside an ornate gate, bottom deep in water.
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What's next?

A Black person carries furniture through muddy, waist-deep flood water towards a wooden-framed building that's been severely damaged.

Environmental justice

The environmental crisis doesn't affect everyone equally. Often the worst impacts fall on those who are already most exploited by people in power. The fight for environmental justice is about addressing this unfairness, and making sure green solutions don't add to the problem.