Greenpeace stages protest in Milan as torch arrives in the city

VIDEO SHOWS: GREENPEACE STAGE A PROTEST IN MILAN AHEAD OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH ARRIVING IN THE CITY RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: MILAN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 5, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) 1. VARIOUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS FROM GREENPEACE STAGING A PROTEST, UNVEILING A LARGE SYMBOLIC INSTALLATION DURING THE DEMONSTRATION NEAR THE DUOMO DI MILANO 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GREENPEACE SPOKESMAN, FEDERICO SPADINI, SAYING:     "We are here in Piazza del Duomo in Milano to protest the presence of Eni, one of the major polluters and mainly responsible for the climate crisis in the world as an oil and gas company, as a sponsor of the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina that are about to start. With its emission, Eni is contributing to melt the snow and the glaciers. The Winter Olympics and more generally all the winter sports are really depending on. As things are, it's estimated that by 2080, less than half of the suitable locations to host the Olympic Games will be able to do that because they will be climate unreliable because of the climate change that is fueled by oil and gas companies like Eni." 3. WHITE FLASH 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GREENPEACE SPOKESMAN, FEDERICO SPADINI, SAYING:     "That's the reason we called the International Olympic Committee for a drop of all the sponsorships and partnerships of oil and gas companies. We sent a letter to the IOC. We haven't received a response yet, so we are here to basically increase the pressure and ask the IOC to take a lead position in ridding the Olympics of the sponsorship of oil and gas companies." 5. PROTEST IN FRONT OF THE DUOMO  MILAN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 2, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) 7. VARIOUS OF GREENPEACE VIDEO BEING WATCHED ON COMPUTER SCREEN TARANTO, ITALY (FILE – SEPTEMBER 21, 2018) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 8. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF EXTERIOR OF ENI OIL REFINERY ROME, ITALY (FILE – SEPTEMBER 30, 2018) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 9. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF ENI OIL CANS MILAN, ITALY (FILE – FEBRUARY 28, 2016) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 10. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF ENI LOGO  GRAPHIC (FEBRUARY 2, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 11. WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM ENI, READING (ENGLISH): "WE NOTE THAT GREENPEACE MISINTERPRETS THE SCOPE AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY. IN FACT, GREENPEACE ARRIVES—THROUGH AN IMPROPER AND INSTRUMENTAL EXERCISE—AT ATTRIBUTING TO ENI A DIRECT ‘RESPONSIBILITY’ FOR A LOSS OF GLOBAL GLACIAL MASS." 12. WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM ENI, READING (ENGLISH): "WE REITERATE THAT ENI RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE AND WILL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION, AS DEMONSTRATED BY ITS ONGOING AND INCREASING INVESTMENTS AIMED AT A PROGRESSIVE DECARBONIZATION PATHWAY THAT WILL LEAD TO NET-ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2050." 13. WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM ENI, READING (ENGLISH): "WE REJECT ANY REPORT THAT USES SCIENTIFIC BASES TO REACH, THROUGH METHODOLOGICALLY INCORRECT MEANS, ATTRIBUTIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY THAT HAVE NO SCIENTIFIC OR LEGAL FOUNDATION." LIVIGNO, ITALY (FEBRUARY 2, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) 14. OLYMPIC RINGS AGAINST MOUNTAIN BACKDROP  15. CLOSE OF OLYMPIC RINGS 16. OLYMPIC RINGS  GRAPHIC (FEBRUARY 2, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) (MUTE) 17. WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM THE IOC, READING (ENGLISH): "THE GAMES IN ITALY WERE PLANNED WITH A STRONG FOCUS ON REDUCING THEIR FOOTPRINT AND SUPPORTING REGIONS STAGING EVENTS IN ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THE GAMES ENGAGE WITH A RANGE OF PARTNERS ACROSS DIFFERENT SECTORS, INCLUDING THOSE INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGIES AND SOLUTIONS RELEVANT TO THE GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSITION." LIVIGNO, ITALY (FEBRUARY 2, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) 18. PEOPLE SKIING DOWN MOUNTAIN 19. MOUNTAINS  20. PEOPLE SKIING  21. SNOWBOARDER 22. VARIOUS OF CHAIR LIFTS  STORY: Environmental group Greenpeace staged a protest in front of Milan's main cathedral on Thursday (February 5), the day the Olympic torch  arrived in the city co‑hosting the Winter Games. An installation depicted the Olympic rings dripping black oil, a visual denunciation of companies it accuses of contributing to global warming and threatening winter sports dependent on cold conditions. "Kick polluters out of the Games," read one of the banners in front of Milan's Duomo (cathedral) in the heart of the city. Greenpeace, which has a filed a climate‑change lawsuit against Eni, has urged the Milano Cortina 2026 organisers to cut ties with the Italian energy major. It argues that Eni's fossil‑fuel operations undermine efforts to safeguard snow‑based sports as temperatures rise. The Winter Olympics will run from February 6 to 22. State‑controlled Eni is one of the Games' premium domestic sponsors. In a statement, Eni said it "shares the importance of addressing climate change" and would continue investing in the energy transition as part of its plan to reach net‑zero emissions by 2050. The Olympic flame, which began its journey across Italy in December after being lit in Rome, reached northern Milan on Thursday morning. It was expected to pass in front of Eni's headquarters later in the day. Designed to build excitement nationwide ahead of the 2026 Games, the torch has travelled through all 110 Italian provinces. Italian Olympic ski champions Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni will have the honour of lighting the cauldrons for the Games on Friday, Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Wednesday (February 4). (Production: Claudia Greco, Tim Hart)

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