Climate protests for COP26

As the climate change conference COP26 entered its 2nd week, tens of thousands of environmental activists, climate campaigners and members of the general public took to the streets in Glasgow, Scotland.

The demonstrations were against what protesters claim is the failure of the United Nations climate talks to act quickly enough against global warming.

Greta Thunberg, who began campaigning for change when she was still at school, voiced the opinion of many of the protesters.

Greta Thunberg: "The COP has turned into a PR event, where leaders are giving beautiful speeches and announcing fancy commitments and targets while behind the curtains, the governments of the global north countries are still refusing to take any drastic climate action. This is no longer a climate conference. This is now a global north greenwash festival. A two-week-long celebration of business as usual and blah blah blah."

In Glasgow, the epicentre of the global protests, people had come to stand up for what they believe in and for faster action from governments.

For Alex Jones, his concern is for future generations.

Alex Jones: "Obviously, I'm here with my kids, and it's going to be their inheritance, long after I'm gone. It's going to be them to deal with the fallout of the decisions that get made at the moment, so for their sake it's really important."

Jayne Whitehead is of the opinion that governments need to put measures in place that allow people to cut their carbon emissions.

Jayne Whitehead: "So, individuals can't do that themselves, world leaders need to change the systems radically, so that we are cutting from now and not in the future, but immediately."

Further demonstrations and events are planned around the world to demand cuts in fossil fuels and to help those communities already affected by climate change.

Jenny Rise feels that politicians around the world are fearful of these demonstrations.

Jenny Rise: "A lot of politicians are scared of the power of this movement and that we can achieve something." Weniger anzeigen