Olivia Colman has transformed into oil tycoon alter-ego ego Oblivia Coalmine in a new advert designed to highlight pension fund ties to the fossil fuel industry.
Collaborating with Richard Curtis on the campaign, Colman’s character “thanks” members of the public for contributing to the oil industry and allowing fossil fuel giants to “drill, dig and destroy”.
The release of the film, which has been backed by Make My Money Matter, comes just ahead of the COP28 summit in the UAE.
Colman’s persona kicks off the video by saying down the camera: “Hello, my name is Oblivia Coalmine and on behalf of the fossil fuel industries I would like to say a huge thank you for all your support this bumper year.
“People like you have pumped billions of your hard-earned pounds into our gas and oil businesses.
“The cash from your pensions has helped us dig, drill and destroy more of the planet than ever before.”
Olivia Colman stars in new anti-oil campaign
MAKE MY MONEY MATTER
She sarcastically added: “We’ve even managed to build a few little wind turbines to keep Greta [Thunberg] and her little chums happy.
“Please keep sending your pensions our way. You know the drill!”
Colman’s Coalmine is then shown drinking an oil-like drink from a champagne bottle as the film draws to a close.
The project has been produced in the hopes of raising awareness for the billions of pounds from UK pension funds that are invested in oil and gas companies.
To coincide with the release of the film, Colman also said in a statement: “Fracking hell, Oblivia Coalmine really is a nasty piece of work. But the scariest thing about her is that she represents something very real.
“That’s why this is such an important campaign. I hope everyone who sees this ad realises the shocking, but unintended, impacts of our pensions and makes their money matter.
“It really is one of the most powerful things we can all do to protect the planet.”
The film became the centre of debate among the GB News Breakfast panel on Tuesday morning when Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster played the film for guests Scarlett Mccgwire and Freddy Gray.
The GB News panel debate Olivia Colman’s new ad
GB NEWS
Mccgwire appeared to support the message of the ad, telling Eamonn and Isabel: “What I find so strange about the whole climate thing is we know it’s happening, all the scientists agree, and we’d rather talk about saving money and doing other things.
“I mean the whole world is actually in denial, it’s not just the people who say it’s not happening… and she’s right, our pensions are going into fossil fuel industries.”
Isabel interjected: “Well also the economy, growing the economy – spending, buying, everything – all of this is bad for the planet. So the moment the government starts taking notice of that then they see the economy tank which means that they won’t be elected. It’s a vote loser.”
And Gray weighed in to slam the project and pick holes in the message: “Of course, pension funds invest in fossil fuels because fossil fuels are a fairly safe investment.
“We need fossil fuels and there is just nothing that is going to change about that in the foreseeable future. Net Zero regardless, fossil fuels are going to be needed.”
