Queen: COP26 ‘will be roaring success’ says Myers

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Protests are taking place across 26 countries and every continent in the world on Friday to demand the global financial system stops putting money into the use of fossil fuels. The Day of Action protest could be one of the largest climate finance protests in history, spanning 26 countries and every continent in the world on Friday to demand the global financial system stops pumping money into the use of fossil fuels. Activists will campaign outside branches of Barclays, Standard Chartered, Lloyds of London and the Bank of England, with Ms Thunberg alongside them, taking aim at Boris Johnson and other world leaders.

The protests come after campaigners revealed banks have paid £2.7trillion into fossil fuel extraction since the 2015 Paris agreement where world leaders committed to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C and reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The demonstration comes just days before world leaders will gather in Glasgow for the climate change summit COP26.

The Prime Minister previously said he fears the summit could fail to make the change needed for the environment.

These fears were validated on Friday morning when Beijing announced Xi Jinping would not attend the summit in person despite China being the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.

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Police Scotland to crack down on violent disorder during COP26

Those intent on causing violent disorder during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow will be responded to “swiftly and robustly”, Police Scotland’s chief constable has said.

Iain Livingstone said policing the international conference was one of the largest operations to have taken place anywhere in the UK.

Speaking alongside Nicola Sturgeon during a briefing in Glasgow, he said: “We will protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest at Cop26, balanced against the rights of the wider community.

“But to those intent on violent disorder and damage, to those who seek to disrupt the climate conference actually taking place, I have a clear message.

“We will respond swiftly and we will respond robustly.”

Greta Thunberg has ‘not officially’ been invited to COP26

Climate activist Greta Thunberg said she has “not officially” been invited to the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow which starts this weekend. 

Asked by Andrew Marr whether she had been invited she said: “I don’t know. It’s very unclear. Not officially.

“I think that many people might be scared that if they invite too many radical young people, then that might make them look bad.”

‘Stop pouring fantasy amounts into fossil fuels,’ says Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg has asked Standard Chartered to “stop funding destruction” at a protest in London today. 

In a Tweet, she said: “Banks still pour fantasy amounts into fossil fuels, destabilising the planet and putting many people’s lives at risk.” 

The crowds outside the bank are singing: “What do we want? Climate justice. When do we want it? Now.”

Ms Thunberg has left the area as activists continue chanting.

‘Absolute chaos’ erupts as Greta Thunberg arrives

Scenes of “absolute chaos” have erupted as climate activist Greta Thunberg takes to the streets of London to protest fossil fuels.

Police are attempting to control the crowds. 

‘We are unstoppable,’ says Thunberg

Environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg has joined hundreds of activists demonstrating outside Standard Chartered in London.

The Swedish activist chanted “we are unstoppable, another world is possible”.

Protesters are continuing to lobby against the global finance system investing money in the use of fossil fuels.

Greta Thunberg arrives at London protest

Teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg has arrived at the London protest lobbying against the financing of fossil fuel projects. 

The demonstration comes only days ahead of the COP26 summit, held in Glasgow, which will see world leaders convene to organise a strategy to combat climate change. 

Protesters gather outside ‘UK’s coal bank’

Dozens of protesters have gathered outside Standard Chartered.

The activists announced: “Standard Chartered is the UK’s coal bank… This bank is investing billions in fossil fuel companies all over the world.

“In total, with their dirty business they have channelled $24billion into coal, oil and gas companies already since the Paris Agreement.”

The group are demanding the group stops fuelling fossil fuel companies. 

Insurance Rebellion protestor arrested for criminal damage

Early this morning, one member of Insurance Rebellion was arrested for spilling 220 gallons of fake oil outside Lloyds of London HQ to draw attention to financing of fossil fuels. 

The group says he was arrested for criminal damage. 

Poor countries should have more representation at COP26, says Thunberg

Greta Thunberg has argued poorer countries, who are most affected by climate change, should have a bigger presence at the climate change summit COP26.

She added it was “not fair” that some nations would send “lots and lots” of delegates, while nations from the so-called Global South would be “under-represented”.

The Swedish activist warned the talks would not succeed if the world “continues to ignore” the “historical responsibility” of industrialised countries to cut their carbon emissions.

‘The clock is ticking loudly,’ says director of UN environment programme

Climate change is an immediate problem which requires urgent action, warns a UN leader. 

Inger Andersen, the executive director of the UN Environment Programme (Unep), said: “Climate change is no longer a future problem. It is a now problem.

“To stand a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C, we have eight years to almost halve greenhouse gas emissions: eight years to make the plans, put in place the policies, implement them and ultimately deliver the cuts. The clock is ticking loudly.”

Protesters gather outside Lloyds of London HQ

Protesters have gathered outside Lloyds of London insurance company’s headquarters as activists pay wreaths and flowers for those impacted by the climate crisis.

The activists, who are protesting the financing of fossil fuels, say Lloyds of London is one of the biggest insurers of fossil fuel projects and are demanding the company pulls insurance for projects like the Adani Group’s coal mine in Australia.

They’re also asking the company to commit to not insurance further projects.

‘My children cough themselves to sleep from pollution,’ says activist

Kevin Wright, a teacher from Greenwich, said of the Silvertown Tunnel: “We cannot afford it environmentally or financially.

“There are no grounds that makes it good. It will draw large traffic into the most densely populated parts of the UK.”

He said his children used to “cough themselves to sleep” from pollution in the area.

Mr Wright added: “All I see is self-interest in this tunnel, all I see is harm, but to some it’s big money and to Khan it’s probably his pension.”

‘Flowers play a huge part in the work we do,’ says activist

Speaking about the laying of the flowers, protester Brianna Fruean said: “Flowers play a huge part in the work that we do.

“There’s a belief flowers hold a representation of light and love and it’s this idea of how do we fight something so big and ugly with something like that.

“We’re here today to call on Lloyd’s to protect Pacific islands, for example, where the coal mine Adani is, to stop funding it.”

Fellow activist Joseph Sikuli said: “A big focus at Cop26 this year is about how private finance can build a teamwork of support and that’s why we decided to come today because we know the people funding the climate crisis need to be the first ones to take action to stop global warming.”

Dozens gather to protest Silvertown tunnel project

Dozens of protesters have gathered to demand the global financial system stops putting money into the use of fossil fuels. 

This particular protest, held outside Macquarie Capital, is fighting against the Silvertown tunnel project. 

The campaigners say this new project is one of the “dirtiest new fossil-fueled infrastructure projects being built in the UK”.

The Silvertown Tunnel project, which was given the green light by London mayor Sadiq Khan, is a road tunnel under construction beneath the River Thames between the Greenwich Peninsula and west Silvertown.

More than 70 activists gather outside Macquarie Capital

The number of protesters has grown at the ‘Defund Climate Chaos’ campaign’s site outside Macquarie Capital, with around 70 activists in attendance.

The protesters are chanting “no Silvertown tunnel” and have laid a display of flowers on the ground. 

Schwarzenegger calls leaders who prioritise cash over climate ‘stupid or liars’

Terminator actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has slammed leaders who say taking measures to combat the climate crisis hurts the economy as “stupid or liars”.

Mr Schwarzenegger said: “They are liars, they are stupid, or they don’t know how to do it, because we figured how to do it and it’s all about having the balls to do it.

“Buy local products. Every time you buy something from overseas, that is evil for the environment – this is like the worst thing you can do.

“Pollution is enemy number one… it is the very thing that causes climate change.” “Humans can solve it — we can kill it, we can terminate it.”

Pope urges ‘radical’ climate response

Speaking from the Vatican for BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, the Pope urged the world to respond to the climate change crisis with vision and radical decisions. 

He said anything less would “waste opportunities” that the current challenges present.

The Pope said: “We can confront these crises by retreating into isolationism, protectionism, and exploitation, or we can see in them a real chance for change.”

He explained there was a need for “a renewed sense of shared responsibility for our world”, adding that “each of us – whoever and wherever we may be – can play our own part in changing our collective response to the unprecedented threat of climate change and the degradation of our common home.”

‘The heat is on… how many wake up calls do we need?’

António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, described the latest UN emissions report as a “thundering wake-up call” to world leaders.

The emissions report found the planet was on course to miss its target to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C.

Under the current environmental pledges, the UN estimates the planet will instead hit a 2.7C rise.

Mr Guterres said: “The heat is on, and as the contents of this report show, the leadership we need is off. Far off.

“Countries are squandering a massive opportunity to invest Covid-19 fiscal and recovery resources in sustainable, cost-saving, planet-saving ways.

“As world leaders prepare for Cop26, this report is another thundering wake-up call. How many do we need?”

World set for 2.7C temperature rise on current climate plans, UN warns

A shocking new emissions report from the UN has warned the world is wasting the opportunity to “build back better” from the pandemic. 

Unless significant climate pledges are made immediately, the planet faces a grim rise of at least 2.7C. 

The report, published by the UN on Tuesday, warns that under countries’ current pledges it would be possible to reduce carbon by only about 7.5 percent by 2030.

This is significantly less than the 45 percent cut scientists say is needed to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C.

That goal will be the focus of the Cop26 summit that opens in Glasgow this Sunday.

No more exploration of oil and gas after this year, warns energy authority

The International Energy Authority says there can be no further exploration of oil and gas after 2021.

Joseph Sikulu, from Pacific Climate Warriors, said: “Financial institutions that continue to invest in dirty fossil fuel projects are also investing in the destruction of our islands and our homes.

“It’s time for the corporations who have caused this crisis to be held accountable.

“The science is clear. We need to do everything we can to limit global warming to 1.5C, the survival of our islands depends on that. To get there we need to defund the climate chaos.”

Boris Johnson fears COP26 could fail

The Prime Minister has previously expressed his fears the summit could fail to make the change needed for the environment.

He said: “We need as many people as possible to go to net zero so that they are not producing too much carbon dioxide by the middle of the century. Now, I think it can be done. It’s going to be very, very tough, this summit.

“I’m very worried because it might go wrong and we might not get the agreements that we need.”

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