Climate Emergency EU’s open letter is signed by over 100,000 people including more than 300 of the world’s leading scientists. The letter argues that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that most leaders are able to act swiftly and decisively when they deem it necessary, but that the same urgency has been missing in the response to climate change. It says “We understand and know very well that the world is complicated and that what we are asking for may not be easy. The changes necessary to safeguard humanity may seem very unrealistic. But it is much more unrealistic to believe that our society would be able to survive the global heating we’re heading for, as well as other disastrous ecological consequences of today’s business as usual.”
EU leaders reached agreement on a €750bn recovery fund on 21st July and pledged that 30% of the package would go towards climate policies, but few details were given.
You can sign Climate Emergency EU’s letter here.
Meanwhile in UK, the government announced £3 billion of green investment to decarbonise public buildings and cut emissions from Britain’s poorly insulated homes, considerably less than Boris Johnson’s election promise of £9.2bn in energy efficiency spending. While contributing to job creation and energy savings, other areas such as renewable energy and restoring nature received little funding.
On 21st July, climate campaigners launched a formal legal challenge against the UK government’s green recovery plans, claiming they are inadequate and “clearly unlawful” in light of the UK’s obligations to reduce emissions. Greenpeace has a petition calling on the government to act like there is a Climate Emergency, including banning all new oil and gas production in the UK, including fracking, tripling renewable energy by 2030, planting 700 million trees and introducing a Frequent Flyer Tax.