Wellington - Mobil Oil New Zealand acknowledges today's protest action by Greenpeace and other organisations.

Mobil takes the potential for human induced climate change very seriously and supports the right of all interested parties to make their views known. However, these protesters are seeking to promote the idea that support for, or opposition to, the Kyoto Protocol equates to concern or non-concern about climate change.

This is simply not the case.

In recent weeks Mobil's parent company, ExxonMobil, has been attempting to stimulate a constructive discussion about the alternatives to the Kyoto protocol, seeking to achieve a 'win win' position by supporting economic growth while protecting the long-term interests of the environment.

Today's protest simply attempts to stifle that legitimate and important debate. It is unlikely to change the US Government 's position on Kyoto and we believe it is counter-productive to the cause that we all embrace - determining the most sensible way to protect the global environment for future generations.

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