Environmental groups unite across 30 countries for Global Days of Action for climate justice

As part of the global fight against climate change, more than 30 grassroots environmental groups from Friends of the Earth International will mobilize for Days of Action for climate justice on 13-14 October 2017.

Spanning six continents, the campaign aims to highlight the climate emergency, fight dirty energy, such as coal, oil and gas, and to call for a shift towards clean alternatives like solar and wind power. It will also highlight the role of communities in pushing for change in the current energy system, both locally and globally.

Karin Nansen, chair of Friends of the Earth International, said:

“Communities around the world are winning battles and the solutions to the climate crisis do exist. We can win this fight if we act together.”

Actions will include: giant murals of resistance against dirty energy in Spain; anti-coal mobilizations in Japan and Indonesia; a bicycle rally for climate justice in Palestine; work with gas-affected communities in rural Mozambique and an anti-fracking rally with inflatable dinosaurs in England, UK.

Background

The year 2017 has seen a succession of devastating hurricanes, flooding in Asia, wildfires raging around the world, including in Greenland, an anthrax outbreak in Siberia, and ice shelf collapses – to name a few.

Climate scientists agree these events will become more common as the planet gets hotter. This is driven by human activity, namely our extraction and consumption of fossil fuels, mass deforestation and industrial agriculture. The Paris Agreement on reducing climate change signed in 2015 allows for at least three to four degrees of warming. Yet the disasters of 2017 are happening with only one degree.

Some calculations suggest we have less than three years to make cuts to prevent a temperature rise over 1.5 degrees.

Friends of the Earth International believes the solution lies in putting an end to dirty energy and ushering in a just, clean energy system led by communities.

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Press contact: press@foei.org