ACROSS the UK, high energy costs and the worsening living crisis have ignited widespread frustration. Unrest which followed the tragic deaths of three children in Southport laid bare the deep-seated anxiety and hardship many are experiencing.

Anger is justified – more and more people are struggling to make ends meet in an increasingly harsh economic climate. However, stoked by inflammatory messaging by malign actors, frustration is often misdirected, aimed at vulnerable minority ethnic communities, refugees and asylum seekers instead of the true culprits – the major corporations that are driving this crisis and the associated sectors that support and profit from them.

For any lasting solution to bear fruit, those in power must be tough on rioters and tough on the root causes of the riots – which include poverty and hopelessness – while a tiny minority parade their wealth and privilege.

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Consider the recent actions of companies such as Shell, BP, and ExxonMobil. Shell, for example, has made the alarming decision to scale back its supposed climate commitments. The company has abandoned its 2035 greenhouse gas emissions reduction pledge and has rowed back on cutting its carbon intensity by 2030.

Under the leadership of CEO Wael Sawan, Shell is doubling down on fossil fuels, maintaining oil production levels and expanding liquefied natural gas sales. This strategy may boost short-term profits but comes at a significant long-term cost to the environment and struggling households.

BP is following a similarly concerning path. In February 2023, the company announced plans to increase its investments in oil and gas, scaling back its previous climate pledges. BP’s revised target now aims for only a 25% reduction in oil and gas production by 2030, down from an initially promised 40%.

Meanwhile, ExxonMobil’s long history of delaying tactics further illustrates how these corporations are profiting from a crisis they have helped create, leaving ordinary people to bear the consequences.

An unprecedented number of heat records have been broken around the world this year, driven by the continued and expanded burning of fossil fuels. This stark reality underscores the direct link between corporate decisions and the escalating climate crisis.

The updated Energy Industry Profits Tracker shows that firms have generated more than £427 billion in profits since the start of the energy bills crisis, a £7bn increase since the last update in April 2024. And it’s not just the energy giants that are cashing in. Network operators and transmission firms alone have generated an estimated £1100 per household in profit while more and more families feel the financial strain.

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This situation has also led to a profound lack of trust in the oil and gas industry. In Aberdeen, only 21% of respondents to a survey believed these companies can manage the green transition effectively. At the same time, three-quarters of Scots are sceptical about the UK Government’s ability to ensure a fair transition for workers and communities.

This distrust underscores a broader concern that, while corporate profits soar, there is little confidence in the industry’s commitment to genuinely addressing climate change or in the government’s ability to manage the transition in a way that benefits all.

One such family are the Andersons* from Glasgow. John, a self-employed contractor, and Sarah, a part-time nurse, work hard to provide for their three children. Yet with energy costs spiralling out of control and inflation once again on the rise, they find it harder each day to pay their bills, put food on the table, and keep their home warm during the bitter Scottish winter.

Their youngest child suffers from asthma and is particularly vulnerable to the cold, making their situation even harder. The Andersons are not alone. Thousands of families across Scotland are facing similar struggles.

But it’s crucial to recognise that these hardships are not caused by refugees or other vulnerable groups; they are the result of decisions made by powerful corporations prioritising profit over people.

The frustration people feel is accurate and it’s justified. But it’s being channelled in the wrong direction. It’s easier to punch down and blame those visible and vulnerable than to confront the faceless corporations driving this crisis, whose profits have soared while the public suffers.

Instead of blaming minority communities and refugees and asylum seekers – many of whom are fleeing the devastating impacts of climate change – our collective anger should be directed at the corporate giants driving up energy costs and exacerbating the climate crisis.

The Andersons are struggling not because of vulnerable communities but because big companies and the governments that continue to subsidise them prioritise profits over people.

Figures from the Warm This Winter campaign, commissioned by Uplift and conducted by Diffley Partnership, revealed the extent of public discontent with rising living costs. An overwhelming 94% of Scots demanded immediate action on soaring energy bills.

The campaign calls for urgent measures, including emergency support for families facing high heating costs, enhanced home insulation, greater access to affordable renewable energy, and a shift from fossil fuels.

Fatima Iftikhar is project lead at Parents for Future Scotland.

Parents for Future Scotland support the Warm This Winter campaign and calls on parents and carers to take action during the first 100 days of the new Westminster government.

The campaign’s four key measures are essential to holding powerful corporations accountable and ensuring no-one has to choose between heating and eating.

Follow Parents for Future Scotland on Facebook, X, and Instagram for updates on their latest campaigns.