Climate protests to call for an end to the use of fossil fuels

Millions of people at protests and events being held worldwide in coming days will call for a halt to the use of fossil fuels, echoing Amnesty International’s view that this is essential to try and prevent the climate catastrophe from escalating.

Amnesty International is supporting several of the coordinated actions which start tomorrow with the Fridays for Future Global Climate Strike, followed by others this weekend in scores of countries around the world.

It is among groups backing the March to End Fossil Fuels on 17 September in New York which will take place as world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, and before the Secretary-General’s Climate Ambition Summit on 20 September.

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:

“Amnesty International is calling for a fast and fair phase out of all fossil fuels and for an immediate halt to the development of new fossil fuel resources. It also supports people’s right to free expression and campaigns to protect the right to peacefully protest.

This generation faces a worsening climate catastrophe, with devastating consequences for human rights, but too many leaders in positions of power today are doing too little to avert this disaster, and even reneging on existing promises.

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General

“The youth-led and organized Fridays for Future movement is again at the forefront of these calls for a just energy transition. This generation faces a worsening climate catastrophe, with devastating consequences for human rights, but too many leaders in positions of power today are doing too little to avert this disaster, and even reneging on existing promises.

“We call on governments and corporations to act now to safeguard everyone’s right to a healthy environment by bringing a rapid end to the current era of fossil fuel dependency, swiftly and fairly transitioning to renewable energy sources, and ending energy poverty.”

Background

Several hundred events will be held over the next three days as part of a coordinated campaign for climate justice.

Fridays for Future began in 2018 when Greta Thunberg started a climate protest outside the Swedish parliament. Amnesty Sweden Director Anna Johansson will join the Climate Strike, and is supporting a Week of Action. In 2019, Greta Thunberg and Fridays for Future received Amnesty International’s most prestigious human rights honour, the Ambassador of Conscience Award.

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement states pledged to try and mitigate the worst effects of climate change by limiting the global average rise in temperature this century to 1.5˚C versus pre-industrial levels. Latest predictions are that this will be substantially exceeded.