Why are the UK’s big supermarkets still selling Russian diesel?

None of us want to be complicit in funding Putin’s war - let’s call on UK supermarkets to put a stop to this.

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Since the start of the war, big-name brands have been taking action to show solidarity with Ukrainians. Slogans have been made, flags pasted on company logos and some UK supermarkets have even removed Russian vodka from shelves.

But if supermarkets really wanted to help, they’d stop buying Russian diesel, and selling it to their customers. Can you call on Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons to stop selling Russian diesel that’s funding Putin’s war?

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A few days ago, we stopped a tanker carrying roughly £30 million of Russian diesel from docking in London. We took action because the government won’t. Even though Russian flagged and owned ships are banned from the UK, we’re still importing Putin’s oil and gas which is fuelling the war in Ukraine. Since the war began, the UK has imported around £250m worth of Russian oil – we know because we’ve been tracking Russian tankers coming into the UK.

Now our investigations have revealed that Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons have been sourcing fuel from a terminal that is importing Russian diesel and then selling it to customers in some of their petrol stations. None of us want to be complicit in funding Putin’s war – let’s call on UK supermarkets to put a stop to this.

In the words of Dr Svitlana Krakovska, Ukraine’s leading climate scientist to the IPCC, “This is a fossil fuel war.” Yet nearly three months after Putin invaded Ukraine, fossil fuels from Russia are still arriving in the UK. The biggest supermarkets have to take proper responsibility and show leadership – even if our government isn’t.

Instead of waiting for a lethargic government to act, supermarkets could show lawmakers that the big business and the public want action now. Can you call on Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons to stop selling Putin’s diesel?

Removing vodka from shelves isn’t going to hurt Putin’s pockets, but refusing to buy his diesel will. Together we can expose supermarkets’ hypocrisy and push them to take proper action. Make sure your voice is heard.

This campaign has finished, but there are lots more that need your support. Find out more and get involved here.

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