UN Antonio Guterres Climate Plea and Silent Rebellion Protest
(Silent Rebellion is an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion. In various cities it holds silent vigils every month protesting Barclay funding of climate destruction corporations.)
We* have returned this Saturday as Exeter Silent Rebellion to protest against Barclays’ ongoing investment in fossil fuels, and to remind the passing public of more ethical banking options.
On Tuesday of this week, 23rd June, as England and much of Europe sweltered with record-breaking temperatures António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, gave a keynote speech at London Climate Action week.[1]
The well-framed speech with its valuable seven points for action contains more than we can summarise here. But below we quote from the start and end of his speech.
As Secretary General Guterres started:
Crisis brings clarity. And here in London – the city of Dickens – it is clear that our world is facing a Tale of Two Crises. A climate crisis pushing us deeper toward higher temperatures and closer to catastrophic tipping points. And an energy crisis exposing the folly of a world hooked on hydrocarbons. On the surface, these crises may seem separate. But they share the same destructive origin: Fossil fuels. And they demand the same answer: A fast, fair transition to clean energy – and a surge in adaptation, resilience and climate justice for those already facing climate harm.
And as he ended: Let me conclude where I began – with Dickens. For the climate agenda, this is indeed the best of times and the worst of times. The worst – because climate impacts are intensifying, tipping points are looming, and the energy crisis has exposed the deep risks of dependence on fossil fuels. But also the best – because the renewables revolution is well underway. A revolution of clean power, electrification, falling costs, rising ambition – and vast opportunity. A revolution that can free countries from the volatility of fossil fuel markets, expand access to energy, strengthen security, create jobs, clean the air, restore ecosystems, and bring a safer future within reach. We have the enormous opportunity – and responsibility — to turn this Tale of Two Crises into a single story of resolve, fairness and shared progress. We can finally turn the page on fossil fuels – and write a future powered by renewables and rooted in climate justice. This is our moment of choice. Our moment of truth. Our moment of opportunity. Let’s seize it.
Among the seven action points identified in the speech there is a central role for all parts of the global financial system. As Guterres says: The energy transition is not moving in a coherent way. Fossil fuel investment continues even as clean energy grows.
To quote him again: Around the globe, powerful voices continue to insist on more coal mines, more oil fields, more gas expansion. This, at a time when the world will not even be able to use all the fossil fuels already accessible – let alone gamble on new supplies and infrastructure that risk becoming obsolete well before the end of their economic life.
Barclays cannot be unaware of the folly and short-termism of pursuing investment in sources of fossil fuels. We wonder, what will it take for Barclays to move massively faster towards its climate change commitments by shifting from investments in fossil fuels and towards far more substantial investments in renewables.
A.D. / Exeter Silent Rebellion
(*Exeter Silent Vigils are the last Saturday of the month at noon in Bedford Square)
[1] Climate crisis: UN chief lays out solutions blueprint for clean energy transition | UN News
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