With the UK hosting COP26 many people in the UK have walked & travelled to Glasgow to put pressure on the governments and demand action for climate justice, but there are many people who also took action in their own local areas by joining the COP26 Coalition Day of Action on Sat 6 November.
In Luton over a hundred people had gathered at 1pm at Town Hall.
Numerous speakers from different organisations spoke at this event including Bedfordshire Climate Change Forum, Luton Quakers, Friends of the Earth, Jeremy Williams - Luton based author and activist running The Earthbound Report, recognised as the best green blog in the UK by Vuelio and the UK Blog Awards.
Jeremy Williams said, “There’s little reason to think that COP26 is going to be different from the 25 conferences that came before it. It’s important because it’s the only international process that we have, but it’s completely inadequate. And that’s why this march comes right in the middle of it, as a demand for climate justice and an end to the powerful playing the system.
The message from protests like this one, and much bigger ones than this one that are happening in Glasgow and all around the world today is to say – we deserve better. Better than PR spin and greenwash, than delay and distraction. Better than the decision to prioritise corporate profits and economic growth over a liveable future.
For the world’s most vulnerable. For the natural world. For our children. We can do better.
And where governments will not act, people will.“
Jeremy’s full speech can be found here.
Thanking David Jonathan (Johny), working with GRASSROOTS, Luton Council of Faiths and Near Neighbours Programme, Colin Hall the Luton Beekeeper and member of Luton Quakers said, “It was really great to to share the action with you, with a super placard you brought with you. I need to thank you for your support for Climate Justice in terms of this event and in other contexts. The role of a combined Faith voice is valuable and important - I hope that it can grow in Luton and worldwide.”
5 - 11 November 2021
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHT
https://www.oikoumene.org/cop26
UN climate summit COP26 in Glasgow
The local weekly newspaper Luton News reported on 10th Nov’21 that campaigners gathered in Luton Town Centre on Saturday 6th Nov’21 to highlight what they say is the lack of progress at the COP 26 climate change conference in Glasgow. Protesters of all ages and cultures listened to many speakers and there was a march through the town centre accompanied by a samba band. The speakers were from about 16 local groups, including Sarah Owen MP, Lynn Place from Luton and Bedfordshire Green party said “Unless ordinary people get active soon, it will be too late. Politicians will not do anything without being pushed.“
A spokesperson from Extinction Rebellion Luton said: “ The biggest and quickest thing that we can do in Britain is to stop banks using our money to invest in coal, oil and gas projects. About 5% of those projects worldwide are financed by UK banks. Change your bank.“
A woman and her daughter from the crowd read a very moving ‘solemn statement’ and two teenagers from the Woodcraft Folk read out the five demands that climate activist Greta Tunberg presented at COP 26. During the march through the town there were ‘die ins’ outside HSBC and Barclays who invest in fossil fuels. UK bank investments put up four times more CO2 than the whole of Britain say campaigners.
