Drax AGM Action Toolkit

Drax AGM Day of Action Toolkit 

This guide should have everything you need to take action on the day of Drax’s AGM! Please contact stopburningtreescoalition@gmail.com if you have any questions.

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Contents

  1. Purpose and Key Information
  2. Digital and Remote Actions
  3. Local Actions

  1. Purpose and Key information

This toolkit is designed to help people to take action against Drax on the day of their Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is happening at 12:30pm on the 26th April 2023 at 200 Aldersgate street (EC1A 4HD) in London

You do not need to be London based to take part. We are encouraging both local actions, which can be organised with small groups of volunteers, as well as digital and remote actions, which can be carried out individually. This toolkit contains ideas, information and general guidelines, but is by no means prescriptive. Please feel free to adapt these ideas and take on your own ideas for action! If you’d like help organising anything, please contact us at stopburningtreescoalition@gmail.com

What is an Annual General Meeting (AGM)? 

An AGM is a yearly meeting between a company and shareholders. At the meeting, the board of directors present a report outlining information about the company’s strategy, performance and results. There are also votes on resolutions and sometimes company roles. 

There is usually an online and an offline element, both of which shareholders are invited to. Typically, major shareholders will vote in line with the board, despite the thin veneer of democracy. 

Why Take Action on the Day of Drax’s AGM?

This year, Drax has enjoyed record profits of £732 million. Meanwhile, the company is estimated to have received £11 billion from the UK government by 2027. Drax is also lobbying the government for even more money to install unproven technology at an estimated cost of £31 billion. 

Drax is the UK’s single biggest carbon emitter and the world's largest tree burner. The AGM is an opportunity to stand with frontline communities, whilst letting the public know how Drax harms people and the planet for profit. Additionally, financial journalists from mainstream media outlets tend to cover the AGMs of large companies, giving us the opportunity to shape the narrative towards climate justice.

Register to Take Part

If you would like to take part in our day of action, please register here: 

https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/drax-2023-agm-day-of-action-26th-april 

  • Click on this section to register your event 

  1. Digital and Remote actions

Email your MP!

Call on your MP to halt the £billions of subsidies given to Drax and re-allocate the money to genuine renewables and climate action.  

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/demand-an-end-to-biomass-subsidies 

Sign the Axe Drax petition: 

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/axe-drax-demands?source=linktree 

Support the call for Barclays to #DropDrax:

https://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/2022/defund-climate-chaos-and-tell-barclays-to-drop-drax/

Email Schroders!

Schroders holds 9% of Drax’s shares and is a major shareholder. They have publicly called on Drax to not pursue category 2 licences in British Columbia following BBC panorama’s expose and pressure from their clients. Call on Schroders to divest approximately £220,000,000 worth of shares from Drax: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-schroders-to-divest-from-drax 

Phone Swarm

Phone Swarm Sign Up

How to do it:

  • Be direct, but polite
  • It’s very likely, you’ll be speaking to representatives rather than direct decision makers.
  • Try to call a few times - increase pressure!
  • Schroders have been picked as shareholder targets as Stop Burning Trees will be marching to their offices in central London during their protest outside Drax’s AGM!

You can focus on any of the following targets:

  • UK Government
  • Grant Schapps, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (ESNZ) - responsible for subsidies going to Drax
  • Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) 
  • Graham Stuart, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (former minister of BEIS) - responsible for subsidies going to Drax
  • Schroders
  • Andrew Howard, Global Head of Sustainable Investment
  • Schroders hold 9% of Drax’s shares and are a major shareholder. They already know that Drax's practices are not sustainable. Andrew Howard wrote to the UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee and requested a commitment from the firm not to pursue more category 2 licences in Canada, which permits access to forest timber. The Stop Burning Trees Coalition is calling on Schroders to #DivestfromDrax.

Grant Schapps - Conservative MP for Welwyn Hatfield

Phone number

01707 263892

Call script

Action taker: Hello can I speak to Grant Schapps?

Representative: (Likely to say no)

Action taker: Okay I understand

Action taker: Will you pass on my message? I’m urging Grant Schapps to prevent Drax from being given the dual CFDs for BECCS. Drax knows their technology doesn’t work, and they are using this as an excuse to keep receiving subsidies for burning trees. Green subsidies going to Drax need to be redirected to real climate action, like insulating homes… Today, Drax is hosting their AGM to celebrate record profits, which is supplemented by £millions of tax-payer’s money. I am extremely worried about the harm that burning trees for electricity causes to people and the planet. 

Graham Stuart - Conservative MP for Beverley and Holderness

Phone Number 

01482 679 687

Call script

Action taker: Hello can I speak to Graham Stuart 

Representative: (Likely to say no)

Action taker: Okay I understand

Action taker: Will you pass on my message? I’m urging Graham Stuart to prevent Drax from being given the dual CFDs for BECCS. Drax knows their technology doesn’t work, and they are using this as an excuse to keep receiving subsidies for burning trees. Green subsidies paid to Drax should be redirected to real climate action, like insulating homes. Today, Drax is hosting their AGM to celebrate record profits, which is supplemented by £millions of tax-payer’s money. I am extremely worried about the harm that burning trees for electricity causes to people and the planet. 

Schroders

Primary target: Andrew Howard, Global Head of Sustainable Investment

Phone number

0800 182 2399

Call Script

Action taker: Good morning/afternoon, could I speak to Andrew Howard?

Representative: (Likely to say no)

Action taker: Could I speak to anyone responsible for shares held by Schroders? Or a relevant department?

Representative: (Responds)

Action taker: I’m calling to urge Schroders to divest from Drax. Today, Drax is hosting their AGM to celebrate record profits from burning trees. This is an unsustainable practice that harms people and the planet and that is held together by lies. Your investors already know that Drax destroys forests. This prompted Schroders to call for category 2 licences to be dropped. You already know that Drax’s business practices are wholly unsustainable. You need to divest. 

  1.  Local Actions

Register to take part

Press release and Promotional materials

Press Release templates 

Request for Stop Burning Trees to send you leaflets

Graphics for social media (blank and with text)

Messaging guide

Social Media Toolkit

Fake AGM

You will need

  1. Printed out scripts
  2. A smart phone to record, ideally with a good camera
  3. Ideally at least 3 or 4 volunteers 
  4. Appropriate formal wear
  5. A table 
  6. A message board (Optional) 
  7. Visual materials such as placards 
  8. Fake name tags 
  1. E.g fun puns: Bernie Trees, Prof Greenwash, Iona Powerplant
  2. E.g members of Drax’s: CEO Will Gardiner etc
  1. Glasses and drink (Optional)

Script

Steps

  1. Get together a group of interested volunteers 
  1. This could be from a local community group or a group of people you know personally. 
  1. Set up a time to practise scripts 
  2. Create props 
  3. Scout a location (ideally somewhere visible with good footfall, good for photographing etc) 
  4. Publicise! - done through a variety of means: social media/digitally, reaching out to local groups, group chats, flyposting etc 
  5. Get a sound system if possible (this makes hearing speakers much easier) [optional]
  6. Print leaflet etc (we can get those printed for you/reimburse if wanted)
  7. Prepare and send the press release. [template above]

Roles

  • Actors 
  • Supporters 
  • Photographers and videographers 

Local Demonstration

Potential targets

  • Major shareholders
  • Schroders
  • Blackrock
  • Invesco 
  • Financiers (Barclays)

Steps

  1. Get a group of interested volunteers 
  2. Pick a location (ideally somewhere with a relevant target, visible with good footfall, good for photographing etc) 
  3. Source or create banners/signs 
  4. Create any props wanted (i.e. greenwashing machine as pictured above) [optional]
  5. Find speakers (ideally some speaking about why you’re there, also often nice to have speakers from other groups there in solidarity with the issue) and musicians [optional]
  6. Publicise! - done through a variety of means: social media/digitally, reaching out to local groups, group chats, flyposting etc 
  7. Get a sound system if possible (this makes hearing speakers much easier) [optional]
  8. Print or order leaflets
  9. Alert local press using the Media advisory template provided 
  10. Meet at the location shortly before the scheduled time to set up 
  11. Demonstrate! 
  12. Send out a post demo press release using the template provided 

Roles

  • Stewards 
  • Compare if having speakers 
  • People handing out leaflets 
  • Banner holders 
  • Photographers and videographers 
  • Spokesperson 
  • Media person to send out press release 

Outreach Stall

Organising an outreach stall is a great way to chat to the public and let them know what Drax is up to! 

Steps 

  1. Get together a small group of people with a few spare hours - you could also combine with another local group for some combined outreach!
  2. Ideally have a table or surface to put materials on (banner, leaflets, stickers etc)
  3. Interactive activities are great conversation starters! Some suggestions for this (but feel free to invent your own) are sticker boards where people can express their opinions on things or a whiteboard for people to write a special message to Drax! 

Creative but easy actions 

  • Flyposting 
  • Subvertising 
  • Anything you can think of! 

Take Action Now