Meet Oblivia Coalmine.

If that sounds something like Olivia Colman, that’s because it is. The Oscar-winning actress has lent her performing chops to a new satirical ad to raise awareness among Brits who are inadvertently contributing to fossil fuel profits with their pension contributions.

Colman is the epitome of evil in her portrayal of a despicable Big Oil CEO. “Thank you for all your support this bumper year,” she says to the camera. “People like you have pumped billions of your hard-earned pounds into our oil and gas business.” It’s true: fossil fuel profits have soared this year despite the climate crisis, with Big Oil profits in the U.S. alone topping $50 billion in Q3.

The oil puns go on. “Every little drop . . . adds up,” she says. “You know the drill.” There’s a cruel joke hinting at greenwashing: “We’ve even managed to build a few little wind turbines to keep Greta and her chums happy,” referring to climate activist Greta Thunberg, as well as the very little energy companies have done to contribute to renewables.

Launching ahead of COP28, the ad is from Make My Money Matter, a grassroots organization cofounded by Colman’s showbiz colleague Richard Curtis, creator and writer of British classics like Notting Hill and the Mr. Bean series. In the release, Curtis ranks Coalmine as one of the most “dark, dystopian characters” he’s created. “And that doesn’t even include Hugh Grant in Love Actually.”

It’s vital to raise public awareness on the issue, given that U.K. pensions invest £88 billion ($112 billion) in fossil fuel companies each year, or £3,000 ($3,800) per pension holder. And yet, 69% of British employees worry that their pensions are contributing to the climate crisis. So far, no pension funds in the U.K. have committed to divesting their funds from fossil fuels. (In the U.S., New York announced that it plans to drop fossil fuels from its state pension fund, but not fully until 2040.) The group’s website has a tool kit of steps people can take to make their voices heard.

Watch Colman’s full villainous spot here. No spoilers, but the ending involves Colman, a champagne flute, and what looks like crude oil.

QOSHE - Watch this: Oscar-winner Olivia Colman skewers the fossil fuel industry in a new ad - Talib Visram
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Watch this: Oscar-winner Olivia Colman skewers the fossil fuel industry in a new ad

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29.11.2023

Meet Oblivia Coalmine.

If that sounds something like Olivia Colman, that’s because it is. The Oscar-winning actress has lent her performing chops to a new satirical ad to raise awareness among Brits who are inadvertently contributing to fossil fuel profits with their pension contributions.

Colman is the epitome of evil in her portrayal of a despicable Big Oil CEO. “Thank you for all your support this bumper year,” she says to the camera. “People like you have pumped billions of your hard-earned pounds into our oil and gas business.” It’s true: fossil........

© Fast Company


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