As the ministers arrived in Bonn for the meeting – to be attended by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in his first official visit to Europe – the activists unveiled the banner on the river Rhine from the masts of the Greenpeace Germany vessel Beluga.
Greenpeace International Executive Director Jennifer Morgan said:
“Climate change poses a threat to every country in every corner of the globe, including the United States. Now is the time to put people and planet first. The G20 must show united leadership in solving the climate crisis.
“If the Trump administration’s isolationist position continues to be one of climate denial, we will resist. If Secretary of State Tillerson puts the profits of the coal, oil and gas industry ahead of the health of our climate through a dirty, old-fashioned America First Energy Plan, we will resist.
“The transition to a modern, innovative and clean energy future is already upon us and gathering speed. The Trump Administration risks putting America last. The world will not wait.”
The January-published 2017 Global Risks Report by the World Economic Forum ranked climate change as one of the top three trends that will shape global developments over the next 10 years and said it remains one of the existential risks to our world.
At the Bonn meeting, discussions around climate change and water scarcity risks and their role in armed conflicts will be high on the agenda.
As the meeting was due to start, about 40 Greenpeace Germany activists used rubber dinghies to reach the waterfront and submit a petition to German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, host of the summit, demanding clear and unified commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.
Greenpeace Germany climate expert Karsten Smid said:
"Only by working together can we solve a global threat such as climate change. Foreign Minister Gabriel, together with his European and Chinese colleagues, must send a strong signal that climate protection is non-negotiable. United we must stand."
ENDS
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