In one of the first signs of a functioning government we’ve seen in a while, the UK parliament has collectively rallied around a motion to declare an official climate emergency. The call, tabled by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, was in direct response to the recent Extinction Rebellion protests, which saw the non-violent blockading of key points across Central London, and the global school strikes, spearheaded by current i-D cover star Greta Thunberg.
Opening his address to the Commons, the Labour leader remarked that, with the current strategies in place, the goal to reach zero net emissions is unlikely to be reached until the end of the century, by which time “our grandchildren,” or rather, for imminence’s sake, we and our children, “will be fighting for survival on a dying planet.”
Michael Gove, our ever-slippery Environmental Secretary, conceded “that the situation we face is an emergency,” calling for an obviously necessary cross-party plan of action, and laying claim to a “green thread of ambition running through Conservative governments” — which makes total sense in light of this government’s decision to build a third runway at London’s Heathrow airport…
On a more optimistic note, the parliamentary debate represents a win for non-violent civil action movements, which are leading the charge in instigating institutional responses. However, the war is far from won: according to Extinction Rebellion, the goal to reach zero carbon emmisions must be brought forward to 2025 to limit the acceleration of the already irreversible damage caused to our planet.
What can you do? Donate, Protest and register to vote for the upcoming European Parliamentary elections to make this generation’s voice heard!
Sign i-D’s petition to declare the third Friday in March ‘National Climate Day’: