Climate activists have given the prime minister’s speech at the COP27 climate conference in Sharm-el-Sheikh the thumbs down. By attacking the behaviour of young climate activists he wasted valuable time they say.
During the speech PM Alexander De Croo (Flemish liberal) also attacked young climate activists who carry out protests like throwing paint at works of art. The premier urged co-operation and forging partnerships as the only way of finding a solution.
Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts, a young activist in Sharm-el-Sheikh for the organisation Justice For Rosa, says the PM’s speech was a very reproachful affair: “De Croo said he was being constructive, but you don’t do that by ridiculing activists”.
Benjamin saw a 15-year-old friend, Rosa, die before his eyes as she was swallowed by flood waters. “40 people died in Belgium as a result of the floods. Thousands perished across the globe. The PM spoke about businesses that were experiencing problems. Wouldn’t he have spent his time better speaking about the victims of climate change?”
“5 minutes. Zero content” is the verdict of Zanna Vanrenterghem of the Climate Coalition umbrella. “A year and a half ago we offered the premier a hundred solutions but he uses valuable time to tell climate activists to calm down!”
Boon Breyne of Youth4Climate is disappointed in the premier’s reference to technology as a kind of saviour: “It’s telling youth a lie” says the engineer. “First emissions need to come down. Urging youngsters to study science sounds like an appeal from the Seventies”.
Boon sides with UN secretary general Guterres, who noted young climate activists chucking red paint at valuable works of art aren’t the problem: “It’s the people who continue to invest in fossil fuels or the companies that mine and drill for them”.