A Coalition of Activists March on CERAWeek
by Susie Hairston
On Monday, March 23rd hundreds of people concerned about the impacts of fossil fuels on our health and the climate gathered to listen to each other’s perspectives and then march from Houston City Hall to the George R. Brown Convention Center to protest in front of CERAWeek.
CERAWeek is an annual energy conference sponsored by S & P global, where the who’s who of oil and gas, tech, government, and defense descend on Houston. It takes place at the George R Brown Convention Center and Hilton Americas – Houston. Begun in 1983 by Daniel Yergin, this Houston-based conference has grown to be an extremely large event both in terms of attendance and impacts. This year, it began Monday, March 23rd and will go until Friday March 27th.
At the conference, top executives determine the direction global energy production will take moving forward. As reported by The Houston Chronicle’s Rachel Nostrant, central to this year’s discussions will be the war in Iran, AI and its massive energy needs, “Venezuela’s oil industry and the future of Texas Energy innovations.”
The CERAWeek protest march is a response to the fact that decisions that will adversely affect all of us are being made by a few very powerful and wealthy people, who have chosen time and again to sacrifice other humans and our planet for profit.
The protesters include people from many local environmental organizations such as the lead organizers, Texas Campaign for the Environment and CEER (Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience), Air Alliance Houston, Fenceline Watch, Third Act Houston, Raices Collaborative, S.A.F.E. Communities, and Better Brazoria, to name a few. Due to the power that this conference represents in terms of the decision that will be made about our health and the health of our planet, not just for Houston residents but for the nation and the world, this protest also attracts organizers from around the country — groups from the New Mexican side of the Permian Basin, Sierra Club Montana, Climate Defiance Oregon, climate justice groups from Southwestern Louisiana, and more.
Matthew Kennedy, the Petrochemical Campaign Coordinator for Texas Campaign for the Environment described the coalition who has come together for the CERAWeek protests and their purpose thus: “It’s a coalition of groups spanning the US Gulf South: Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and allies from across the country: California, New York . . . who have been building this movement for years trying to oppose the corporate planning of our future by companies like Cheniere and Exxon and all the heads of state and technocrats. We do workshops, meetings, and events like this to try to and offer a grassroots vision for the future. It’s a lot of different groups holding different pieces of the work, but one shared vision of climate justice, not just for the Gulf South, but for the whole world.
The protest march on Monday was the culminating event in a series of many events including art builds, planning sessions, community building gatherings, educational workshops, and more.
Individuals and organizations show up to this event for a variety of related reasons.
Some come to criticize the adverse impacts of fossil fuels on the climate and human health and to decry the privileging of the individual wealth of a few over the health and future of us all.
Some want to bring their voices to a place where they are locked out of the rooms where a few are deciding to continue to destroy our planet – poisoning our water and air, building more toxic facilities in neighborhoods already overburdened with pollution, and increasing the emissions that are worsening droughts, floods, hurricanes, forest fires, heat, and damaging our health.
Some come to remind us of the relationship between war and environmental destruction and the connection between the genocide occurring in Gaza, oil, and the sacrifice of individuals, communities, and the environment in the Gulf South.
Some see it as a place to get together with others working in the climate space, as a time to connect, to rebuild, and to experience some joy in marching with others who share the same desire to create a better future for everyone.
You can make it even better next year by coming and bringing a friend and, in the interim, volunteering with one of the participating organizations.
More info on the CERAWeek protest and CERAWeek:
Hao, Claire. “The Energy A-list: Here are the big names speaking at CERAWeek 2026 in Houston and why it matters. Houston Chronicle. March 23, 2026. Web.
https://www.houstonchronicle.
McClenagan, Kyle. “Protestors march in downtown Houston to oppose CERAWeek on first day of 2026 energy conference.” Houston Public Media. March 23, 2026. 4:45 p.m. Web.
Nostrant. Rachel. “What is CERAWeek? What to know about this year’s ‘Super Bowl of energy’ in Houston.” Houston Chronicle. March 20, 2026. Web. https://www.houstonchronicle.
Ward, Rebekah F. “Protestors march against oil industry leaders at Houston’s CERAWeek Energy conference.” Houston Chronicle. March 23, 2026. web. https://www.houstonchronicle.
Also follow the coverage of Ana Bueno, environmental reporter for Univision 45 on Instagram.