On Saturday over 8,000 people joined The Wave, Scotland’s biggest-ever demonstration to demand action on climate change.
The people of Scotland sent a strong message to world leaders ahead of this week's vital climate change talks in Copenhagen.
The family-friendly march through the streets of Glasgow demonstrated the concern felt by ordinary people that world leaders meeting in Copenhagen for the forthcoming UN summit should share Scotland’s ambition on climate change, that the poorest must be protected and that the nations must act 'fair and fast' to address the problem.
Those who marched from Bellahouston Park to Kelvingrove Park enjoyed a range of entertainment from speeches and live music to events specially laid on for the many children present.
The Wave was organised by Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS), which represents over 60 organisations and 2 million people across Scotland - including Oxfam, Christian Aid, SCIAF and WWF - the largest civil society coalition since Make Poverty History in 2005. There were simultaneous Waves in Belfast, Dublin, London, Paris, Brussels and Berlin.
Mike Robinson, Chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland said:
“I am delighted so many people braved the December weather to take a stand against climate change. Scotland has the strongest climate legislation in the world and the turn out today shows why – people care. Leaders meeting in Copenhagen over the next two weeks should be in no doubt, the eyes of the world are on them and we must see the western world in particular, setting the scale and immediacy of targets we know we need to prevent runaway climate change.”
Greenpeace has produced a manifesto listing 12 simple, effective steps that could help Britain build a low-carbon economy, create green jobs and prove a way for the UK to show real leadership in our response to climate change:
<http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/about/our-manifesto-20091009>
Key demands of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland:
Share Scotland’s ambition - Earlier this year, the Scottish Parliament passed the most progressive climate change legislation in the world. This Act sets vital international precedents and is an example that other wealthy nations must follow. SCCS wants to see the UK government ensure that developed nations commit to at least the same ambition as Scotland.
Protect the poorest - SCCS calls on the UK and other wealthy governments to provide their fair share of the resources needed, on top of existing aid commitments, to help people in poor countries adapt to climate change. This means ensuring that the EU commits to delivering at least $150 billion new and additional public financing from 2012 which is vital if developing nations are to be protected from the devastating impacts of climate change caused by others.
Act fair and fast - SCCS calls on the UK Government to push urgently for a fair global deal in Copenhagen which limits global warming to under 2 degrees C. The UK must commit to reducing its carbon emissions by at least 42% by 2020 through domestic action, and call on other rich countries to do the same.
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