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Over 3,500 events took place, Friday, in countries across the world to demand that urgent action is taken to tackle the climate crisis. Actions took place in the streets where COVID-19 regulations allow, as well as online. Street protests followed COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines.
“Fridays For Future and the youth climate movement are striking again around the world, in a safe way and following Covid-19 guidelines, to demand those in power treat this like the urgent crisis it is,” said Swedish youth climate leader, Greta
Thunberg.
Last year, millions of people took to the streets to demand climate
action. Politicians and the media congratulated the youth and portrayed them as beacons of hope. However, with those same leaders’ inaction, there was never cause for celebration. For the youth in the areas most affected by the climate crisis, 2019 was not a year for festivities: it was a struggle. Millions of people had to abandon their homes and it was one of the hottest years on record. As extreme weather events, fires and floods driven by the climate crises accelerate across the world, the
strikes are a reminder to those in power that the climate crisis has not gone away.
“The climate crisis is already having a huge impact on communities like
mine in Africa. Unprecedented heavy rains and record floods across West, Central, and East Africa have affected millions of people in recent weeks, with more than 200 people dead and hundreds of thousands left homeless. In the US, there are devastating wildfires, climate breakdown is not something that is going to happen in the future, it is here and
now,” Kevin Mtai from Kenya said.
Five years have passed since national governments signed historic international treaties and agreements – the Paris climate agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals and the broader 2030 Agenda to push for a
more just and sustainable world by 2030. These inter-linked agendas
promised to transform the world, to end poverty, to reduce inequality,
ensure peace and address the climate crisis. So far, delivery has failed to live up to that ambition with the climate crisis worsening impacts.
“The climate crisis requires a rapid gear change in all areas to break
away from polluting technologies and carbon-intensive industries. We
need our governments to bail out people and the planet, supporting the solutions we need for a just recovery that averts climate breakdown, create good jobs, advance environmental justice, and support livable communities.” May Boeve Executive Director of 350.org, stated.
Mitzi Jonelle Tan, a youth climate activist from the Philippines, said; “We Filipinos are among the most impacted, ranking 2nd in the latest
Global Climate Risk Index, yet our contributions to greenhouse gas
emissions are so little. The least affected are often those who have
contributed the most to the climate crisis — and what are they doing
now? Nothing. It is time for world leaders to wake up to the truth of
the climate crisis. By demonstrating people’s power we will make this
week a turning point in history. The climate crisis is an emergency. We
have to act like it so we will stop our business as usual and show
governments what people want: climate justice.”
“The conversation around the climate crisis is largely towards
mitigation. But countries like India are already experiencing a climate
crisis. We are not just fighting for our future, we are fighting for our
present. We, the people from the most affected are going to change the conversation in climate negotiations and lead a just recovery plan that
benefits people and not the pockets of our government.” said Disha A
Ravi from India
For Eyal Weintraub of the Youth For Climate Argentina, “The most extraordinary aspect of this movement is realising the unlimited potential of our generation. We have reached a point in history when we have the technical capacities to solve poverty, malnutrition, inequality and of course global warming. The deciding factors for whether we take advantage of our potential will be our activism, international unity and ability to develop the art of making the impossible possible. That’s why It’s so important that we are millions striking, virtually and physically, on the 25th.”
