Greenpeace Head of International Climate Politics, Martin Kaiser, said:
“This first Global Day of Action represents a unified acknowledgment by sensible people everywhere that we are either moments away from the healthy planet we deserve or catastrophic climate change brought about by pure greed. We are demanding that our leaders lead us to 100 per cent clean renewable energy for all, and follow the innovators and thinkers who are taking us there by 2050 – 'join the movement now' is the call for them.”
The “Global Day of Action” – the first of three this year leading to the Climate Conference in Paris – represents a partnership amongst leading environmental movements and organisations including 350.org, Avaaz, Friends of the Earth, WWF, Coalition Climat 21, CAN, and many others. Greenpeace’s #GetupAnd movement represents the solidarity of millions across the globe who are courageously standing against unsustainable energies and threatened ecosystems, while celebrating the easy, available and immediate solution: renewable energy.
Events across the globe included:
- On Wednesday, Greenpeace activists in Norway displayed a banner in front of the Parliament in Oslo that said: “GetUpAnd Divest Norway”. Later on that day, the Norwegian Parliament decided to ban investments by the Norwegian Oil Fund to the coal industry.
- Activists from Greenpeace Japan pushed an online petition directed at the Japanese government that called for solar energy uptake and against nuclear energy.
- In France, Greenpeace activists rallied in 15 cities to raise awareness about renewable energy and against nuclear energy.
- In Germany, Greenpeace volunteers rallied in 60 cities asking German chancellor Merkel to quit coal.
- In Spain, Greenpeace volunteers took part in flash mobs in 15 cities to shine a spotlight on renewable energy.
- In Italy, Greenpeace volunteers rallied in over seven cities demanding an end to fossil fuels.
- In Indonesia, Greenpeace Southeast Asia protested with banners asking President Joko Widodo to stop dirty energy.
- In eight cities across Brazil, Greenpeace volunteers set up “green information points” to invite people to get active against deforestation and inform them about solar energy.
Next Sunday to Monday the world’s seven biggest industrial countries, the G7, will meet in Germany. Currently the G7 countries are responsible for 60% of the nuclear and 30% of coal-generated power worldwide. Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel, the current G7 president, has declared climate change as one of the key issues of the summit. It is an important step on the way to a new climate treaty to be signed at the COP 21 in Paris at the end of the year.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the turnaround in the energy market is faster than expected by reasonable costs: ”In just a few years, renewable energy technologies have demonstrated substantial performance improvements and cost reductions…”[2]
“The G7 are both financial powerhouses while being the largest emitters of CO2 emissions. Because of this, they have a moral duty to all of us to make ‘the big switch’ from dirty energy sycophancy to a new energy system, based on 100 percent clean, renewable energy. As Bob Hunter, one of the founders of Greenpeace, said: 'Big change looks impossible when you start, and inevitable when you finish,'” said Kaiser.
ENDS
Pictures from the Global Day of Action here.
Notes for Editors:
[1] For more information about the Global Day of Action here.
[2] IPCC report here:
Contacts:
Greenpeace International Pressdesk +31 (0)20 718 2470, or 
Martin Kaiser, Head of International Climate Politics, Greenpeace Germany + 49 171 878 0817, 
Tina Loeffelbein, Political Communications Lead - International Climate Politics, Greenpeace Germany +49 151 167 209 15, 