An aerial view taken with a drone shows “STOP GAS” written in red letters in the sand on Borkum beach. Activists from “Fridays for Future” demonstrate on Borkum against gas drilling off Borkum. Credit: Lars Penning/dpa
Climate activists from Fridays for Future staged a protest on the German island of Borkum on Tuesday, denouncing controversial gas extraction in the North Sea.
With a large red message reading “STOP GAS!” etched into the sand, the demonstrators called on Dutch energy company ONE-Dyas to halt its offshore drilling plans near the island.
“Natural gas is a major climate killer,” prominent climate activist Luisa Neubauer told dpa. “Every bit of gas burned makes the climate crisis more dangerous. We urgently need to move away from gas — not into new projects.”
Police said the protest remained peaceful.
Greens denounce drilling
Germany’s Green Party echoed the activists’ concerns, sharpening its opposition to gas exploration near the ecologically sensitive Wadden Sea.
The Wadden Sea is a coastal region that forms part of the south-eastern edge of the North Sea. The shallow, intertidal zone stretches along the coasts of the Netherlands and Germany.
“While Germany and Europe suffer from heatwaves, droughts, and floods, Chancellor Friedrich Merz is pushing for new gas drilling off Borkum, in one of our most fragile ecosystems,” said Green parliamentary co-leader Katharina Dröge.
Two weeks ago, Merz’s Cabinet approved a bilateral agreement with the Netherlands, allowing development of cross-border gas fields in the North Sea near Borkum. The Dutch side of the project is operated by ONE-Dyas.
In response, the Greens introduced a motion in parliament calling for an end to gas extraction in Germany, proposing a ban on new drilling and the phasing out of existing permits by 2030.
Environmental concerns around the Wadden Sea
Local residents and environmental groups fear the drilling could damage the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The extraction platform lies about 20 kilometres off Borkum’s coast.
German environmental groups and the island’s municipality have filed lawsuits against the project. While operations have begun in Dutch waters, a decision on whether to proceed in German territory is still pending.
