Around 750 people took to the streets of Brussels on Sunday afternoon in a demonstration organised by the climate action group Rise for Climate. The demonstration took place on the eve of the opening of the United Nations climate summit COP29. The summit that starts today (Monday 11 November) and runs until 22 November is being held in the Azeri capital Baku.
The demonstrators also expressed their solidarity with the victims of the deadly floods that hit the Valencia region of Spain at the end of last month. ‘
Those at the demonstration said that by choosing an oil-producing country that regularly violates human rights, the UN is undermining the independence its COP climate summits and encouraging greenwashing and the fossil fuel lobby. “We call on the Belgian government and the European Union (EU) to exclude fossil fuel lobbyists from their delegations and to support the demands of citizens of vulnerable countries, NGOs and scientists for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.”
The demonstrators also urged Belgium and the 27 EU Member States to respect the Paris climate agreement and the Green Pact for Europe.
“Refuse to give public subsidies for fossil fuels”
The demonstrators also called on governments to stop subisidising fosil fuels.
“Every year, the EU fuels the climate catastrophe by spending the equivalent of 405 billion euros on public subsidies for fossil fuels. This must stop. We also oppose the EU's Mercosur treaty, which could be approved at the next G20 summit as this will would worsen deforestation in the Amazon while weakening many farmers’ competitiveness through unfair competition.”