Leicester sends a message to the climate talks

On Sunday 2nd December 2018, people concerned about climate change met in in Jubilee Square to form the number 12, to remind politicians that we have just 12 years left to take radical action on fossil fuels if we want to avoid climate catastrophes. An aerial photograph was taken from the Big Wheel and has been sent to negotiators going to the UN climate talks in Poland, as a message from Leicester calling for urgent action.

Red Leicester Choir attended the protest and sang songs with an environmental theme. They also led a mass sing of an adapted version of ‘Silent Night’, which calls for fracking to be banned. This song was streamed live on Leicester Friends of the Earth’s Facebook page.

One member of Red Leicester Choir, Christina Mottram, is travelling to Poland to attend the UN climate talks as a campaigner. She wants the negotiators to understand that people are very worried about the effects of climate change and they are asking governments to follow through on the commitments they made in Paris three years ago. In 2015, nearly every country in the world signed up to the Paris climate agreement, with the long-term goal of keeping temperature increases to 1.5 degrees. However, so far, countries’ commitments to reduce fossil fuel use have not been enough to meet this goal.

Christina said: “My children are now in their 30s, and ever since they were young I have wanted a better world for them to live in. It also makes you realise that some children are disadvantaged by the effects of climate change - especially poverty, migration, and the effects of global warming on local environments.”

Hannah Wakley from Leicester Friends of the Earth said:

“Over 100 people came to Jubilee Square today to send a message to talks in Poland. We know that we are running out of time to deal with this problem. If global temperatures increase by more than 1.5 degrees, millions of people will be affected by floods, drought, extreme heatwaves and poverty. It is still possible to avoid these catastrophes but governments must act now.”

Photo credit: Ambrose Musiyiwa

The Guardian covered the latest UN climate change report.
COP24’s website explains the aims of the conference.