A Greenpeace petition calling on the government to declare a Climate Emergency has almost reached its goal of 250,000 signatures.
The appeal comes as Extinction Rebellion protests continue in London, with activists targeting the financial industry in a bid to reveal the “truth” about their roles in funding the climate and ecological crisis.
Despite promises coming from Sadiq Khan and Michael Gove, Richard Barnard of Christian Climate Action said: “Empty rhetoric and sympathetic platitudes make it clear that despite a week of disruption, the political classes are not really listening”.
Yesterday Ed Miliband called on the energy minister to persuade Theresa May to declare a “climate emergency” in the UK.
The former Labour leader asked Claire Perry about the Extinction Rebellion protests in London over the last week, saying it was “no wonder” activists were taking such a stand given the seriousness of the threat.
Greenpeace is calling on the government to act by:
(1) Banning all new oil and gas production in the UK, including fracking
(2) Tripling renewable energy by 2030
(3) Planting 700 million trees
(4) Introducing a Frequent Flyer Tax
(5) Ending the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars by 2030
(6) Rolling out free bus travel for young people and those on lower incomes
(7) Ending carbon emissions from heavy industry like steel and cement
(8) Creating millions of jobs in a new green economy
(9) Retrofitting our homes to go zero carbon
(10) Radically changing the farming and food system to encourage a less meat-based diet”
So far 245,591 people have signed. Add your name here.