Student climate change protesters take to the streets across Australia
5922 Mins Read
Thousands of Australian students walked out of class on Friday to join rallies demanding stronger action to rein in climate change, which they said is contributing to the country’s bushfire crisis.
Australia has been battling wildfires for weeks, which have killed at least four people, burnt about 2.5 million acres of farmland and bush and destroyed more than 500 homes.
The rallies, in Sydney and other major Australian cities, were the first in a series of protests by students across the globe demanding governments do more to protect the environment. The protests come ahead of the annual U.N. climate conference that starts in Madrid on Monday.
Student activists from School Strike for Climate Australia (SS4C) hold a ‘Solidarity Sit-down’ protest outside of the office of the Liberal Party of Australia in Sydney, Australia, 29 November 2019. EPA-EFE/STEVEN SAPHORE
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has previously rejected suggestions his government is not doing enough to address climate change.
Australia has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 26% from 2005 levels by 2030, but recent data shows emissions are unchanged.
However, data released on Friday showed Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions were roughly unchanged in the 12 months ended June.
