Dozens scale roof of UK Parliament and vow overnight occupation

• UK MPs return from their summer break for the first parliamentary session since the expenses scandal dragged the reputation of British politics to new depths. With the UK government’s Committee on Climate Change calling for a “step change” in UK action to cut emissions, and the vital Copenhagen climate summit in less than two months, climate change should be right at the top of the political agenda.
• The activists are vowing to stay on the roof overnight so they can welcome politicians back to Westminster in the morning. They have unfurled a huge banner on the roof of the Palace of Westminster’s Great Hall that says: “CHANGE THE POLITICS, SAVE THE CLIMATE.”
• They have also issued a manifesto listing twelve simple steps British politicians could agree to today to rapidly get the UK onto a low carbon path, and provide the help poorer countries need to develop clean energy, adapt to the impacts of climate change and protect their rainforests.
• In 56 days the world gathers for the key climate change conference in Copenhagen, but as things stand there is a very real risk of failure. At last week’s preliminary UN climate meeting in Bangkok, China and 130 other developing nations accused the richer countries, including the UK, of trying to sabotage the negotiations and there is widespread concern that the developed nations are not making the necessary commitments to seal the vital deal.
• Greenpeace volunteers will be fanning out across Westminster tomorrow morning, asking newly-returning politicians to sign up to the manifesto commitments which could move the UK onto a safe, low carbon path, whilst helping poorer countries to develop clean energy and protect the forests we all depend on.
• The activists are asking all the party leaders, MPs and Lords to sign up to the new climate manifesto.

Quotes and Related Information

 1. “I came here to join this protest because the actions of the UK government have huge significance for the people of India. Unless the developed nations shoulder their responsibilities and make the necessary commitments to cut emissions, the developing world will never join the process. Our government wants a deal at Copenhagen, but climate change was caused by the industrialised nations, and they need to show leadership in solving it.”, said Brikesh Singh, climate campaigner from Greenpeace India. He continued, “I’ve taken direct action in India to oppose coal fired power stations there, but this is a global issue, and we need global action if we’re going to deal with it. The UK government could set an example to the world and take the steps they know are necessary, and that could go a long way to breaking the deadlock in the international negotiations. I urge all UK politicians to sign up to Greenpeace’s manifesto, for the sake of the people of Britain, India, and the world.”

 2.Another of the activists, 28 year-old Anna Jones, said: “We’ve climbed on the roof of the Houses of Parliament because too many of the politicians and parties who work in this building are failing us all on climate change. The clock’s ticking down to the big climate summit in Copenhagen, but politicians are still treating the most important issue of our time as a political plaything. We need a green economy that will create jobs and bring prosperity while helping us beat climate change. We need politicians to be fighting for the next generation, not just the next election.”

 5.The Greenpeace Manifesto is available online at – www.greenpeace.org.uk/manifesto

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Greenpeace is an independent organisation with presence in over 40 countries that acts to protect the environment and promote peace by changing attitudes and behaviour. Greenpeace India is funded by individual Indian donors.