The Just Stop Oil activists in the U.K., led by Hannah Hunt, have recently issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, demanding that the British government halt any new fossil fuel licenses after April 10 or face escalating disruption from youth activists. This action was taken as part of a series of climate protests in the U.K. and around the world aimed at forcing governments and financial institutions to take concrete steps to address climate change.
Extinction Rebellion climate activists took part in various demonstrations throughout the country, including blocking private jet terminals at Luton Airport and holding a banner reading “tax frequent flyers” outside London. The message is clear – those who contribute most to carbon emissions must bear responsibility for their actions and face consequences. Similar protests were also held abroad, with dozens of Extinction Rebellion protesters gathering in front of Citigroup’s headquarters in New York City to urge it to stop investing in fossil fuel expansion; Citi is currently the world’s second-largest financier of such fuels after JPMorgan Chase.
These protests come on the heels of increasingly urgent warnings from environmentalists and scientists that drastic measures are needed if humanity is to avoid catastrophic climate change effects within our lifetimes. Governments must take action now by committing to zero emissions targets and ceasing all new investments in fossil fuels before it is too late – something which Prime Minister Sunak has so far failed to do despite promising “action on climate change” during his first speech as leader last year.
It is time for governments like Britain’s to recognize that continuing with business as usual is no longer an option – young people are ready and willing to do what needs doing, but they cannot do it alone; we need bold leadership from our political leaders if we are ever going to make progress on this issue. We hope that Prime Minister Sunak listens before it is too late, and takes decisive action against fossil fuels before these protests become more extreme or destructive.
