After four days of peaceful demonstrations, climate activists gathered in Parliament Square as a deadline for the government to act to end all new fossil fuel projects was reached.
The actions involved a wide range of groups, including Extinction Rebellion, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, as well as the Christian climate coalition, with thousands gathering for Earth Day in London on Saturday 22nd April 2023.
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URC (United Reformed Church) Thames North Synod Moderator, Revd George Watt (pictured below) said,
‘It was good to join with Christians of different traditions on pilgrimage and protest from St John’s Waterloo to Parliament Square to raise awareness of the Church’s concerns about the current climate crisis. It was a moving experience with the opportunity to worship, walk, talk, and pray together. It culminated in different groups converging on Parliament Square (which was closed off to traffic) to make our voice heard by our political leaders that change is needed.’
Writing in the Times on 24 April, 23 faith leaders called on the world's largest insurance market Lloyd's of London to “show leadership" by ending insurance for all new fossil fuel projects. Collectively, they sent a letter to Lloyd's of London Chairman Bruce Carnegie-Brown and Chief Executive John Neal, asking for a meeting to discuss the issues.
“Those who back new fossil fuel projects have a moral responsibility to change course," they wrote.
Signatories including Nicola Brady, general secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, and Kamran Shezad, Director of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, Hindu Climate Action, Eco Judaism and Paul Parker, recording clerk of Quakers in Britain urged Lloyd's to commit to not providing (re)insurance for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
The letter welcomed Lloyd's introduction of phasing out insurance for coal and tar sands but noted that these guidelines remain voluntary and that the market has no policy on conventional oil and gas.
The full letter has been sent to Lloyd's of London Chairman Bruce Carnegie-Brown and Chief Executive John Neal, asking for a meeting to discuss the issues raised.
URC (United Reformed Church) Thames North Synod Moderator, Revd George Watt joined thousands gathered for Earth Day in London on Saturday 22nd April 2023.