Climate campaigners have announced that Edinburgh will join a global day of action against fossil fuels with a march through the capital on Saturday 16 September.
The march will demand a fair and fast transition away from fossil fuels, calling for the workers and the communities most affected to be at the heart of planning this transition to ensure it meets their needs.
This wave of global protests and mobilisations will include the ‘March to End Fossil Fuels: fast, fair, forever’ in New York City on Sunday 17 September, as world leaders attend the United Nations Secretary-General’s Climate Ambition Summit.
Scientists, energy experts and climate campaigners agree that there must be no new investment in oil, gas or coal anywhere if the world is to limit further climate breakdown. Despite this the UK Government wants to “max out” new North Sea oil and gas and grant over 100 new licences for further oil and gas exploration.
The Edinburgh March is organised by a coalition of groups including Edinburgh Climate Coalition, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Fridays for Future, Climate Justice Coalition, War on Want, Extinction Rebellion Edinburgh, Scot.E3, Greenpeace Edinburgh and Youth in Resistance.
Marchers will highlight the threat posed by new oil fields such as Rosebank and the proposal for an extra gas-fired power station at Peterhead currently being considered by the Scottish Government.
Evelyn McGregor from the Edinburgh Climate Coalition said: “The protest is part of the biggest ever global day of action against fossil fuels.
“We’re getting organised and protesting because of Rishi Sunak’s promise to give out hundreds of new oil licences despite the record-breaking temperatures, extreme weather and terrifying wildfires this summer.
“By choosing to max out fossil fuels, politicians are lighting the climate’s touch paper and signing a death sentence for millions of people.”
Dylan Hamilton, an activist with Fridays For Future, said: “The threat posed by the climate crisis cannot be overstated, we have already seen destruction on a global scale at just 1.1C of global warming. Continuing to burn fossil fuels will lock in several more degrees of warming, and destroy billions of lives.
“The solution is simple: we must stop burning fossil fuels.
“Activists, from school pupils to pensioners, have been demanding that governments tackle this crisis and move away from fossil fuels for years. We hope that today’s politicians will finally listen.”
Friends of the Earth Scotland’s just transition campaigner Rosie Hampton said: “Politicians are failing to deliver the fair and fast transition away from fossil fuels that is desperately needed by workers, communities and the climate.
“Both the Scottish and UK Governments are listening to oil and gas lobbyists instead of what climate scientists are telling them and the devastating evidence of extreme weather around the world.
“The Scottish Government is considering approving a huge new gas-fired power station at Peterhead despite the fact it will lock us into fossil fuels for decades to come. The developers have admitted the plant will worsen climate pollution, so Scottish Ministers must use their power and responsibility to reject this new fossil fuel infrastructure.”
“By putting in place a credible plan to transition to renewable energy people in Scotland can have warm homes, excellent public transport and good green jobs. We hope that as many people as possible can join us in the streets to bring this message to both the Scottish and the UK Government.”