As the G8 meeting in Italy ended with scant progress on saving the climate, Greenpeace called for massive public pressure to demand that the world's wealthiest governments take decisive action on climate change.
This morning, Greenpeace activists on inflatable boats painted a coal ship in Civitavecchia, near Rome, with the message G8: FAILED.
This activity marks the culmination of a week of Greenpeace protests around the world in the United States, Russia, France and Italy calling on the G8 to set the conditions for reaching a climate saving agreement at the Copenhagen UN Climate Summit in December.
Across Italy, more than 100 activists have occupied, painted, blocked and hung off cranes at five Italian coal-fired power stations, pointing to coal as the world's worst climate killer, and calling for G8 leadership. Greenpeace activists are still occupying two of the power stations, but end their protest today when the G8 meeting ends.
"While Greenpeace has been demonstrating what real climate action looks like, G8 inaction has brought the world one step closer to catastrophic climate change.They are hiding their lack of leadership behind hollow words and empty gestures," said Julien Vincent, of Greenpeace Australia, from on top of the Brindisi coal plant chimney. "We call on all people to take whatever peaceful action they can to compel their leaders to deliver strong targets for cutting greenhouse gases before the new climate treaty is negotiated in December."
G8 summit
The G8 leaders have abdicated action on climate change to future generations. They have left those least able to tackle climate change even more vulnerable to its devastating effects.
"They had an historic opportunity but have squandered it, by failing to commit to mid-term emissions cuts and deferring discussion on money to enable the developing world to tackle climate change to the G20. Today the G8 heads of state have proven themselves to be mere politicians who talk and not the leaders who take the decisive action the world needs.
"The G8 was a disgusting abdication of leadership and responsibility. Instead of seizing the opportunity to tackle climate change and saving the world's most vulnerable countries, including African nations, from the devastating effects it is already causing, they deferred responsibility to future governments and future generations. Their legacies and more importantly our futures are at stake.
"Although finally admitting temperatures must not rise above 2 degrees Celsius, they gave us no way to achieve this. The United Nations will hold a crisis session on climate change in on September 22, these heads of state need to be ready. The time for action is now," said Guruswamy Ananthapadmanabhan, Greenpeace International Programme Director.
Other contacts: • Beth Herzfeld, Greenpeace International Press Officer: +44 (0)7717 802 891 • Tobias Muenchmeyer, Greenpeace Political Unit: +49 (0)15114533073 • Phil Radford, Greenpeace USA Executive Director: +1 202 907 6500 • Guruswamy Ananthapadmanabhan +31 646 184 252 Greenpeace International Programme DirectorGreenpeace International contacts on coal plant occupations: Cindy Baxter in Rome: +31 646 197 332
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