Hi John,

 

Is this what real climate leadership looks like?

 

This year, the UK has a unique responsibility on climate change. We’re hosting the UN’s global climate change summit and the G7 - the most important summits the UK has ever held. [1] As host, the UK has a big opportunity to rally other countries to step up their action on climate change. World leaders are looking to us - but we need to have the moral authority to ask them to act.

 

Put simply, hot air and shiny targets alone won’t cut it. If we don’t have a plan, others won’t have one either, and the world will stay on course for dangerous levels of global warming - far beyond agreed climate limits.

Boris Johnson claims to be a climate leader, but many of his government’s policies are taking us in the opposite direction - dithering over a new coal mine, scrapping over a billion in funding for energy efficiency, letting our banks fuel climate destruction across the world and slashing our overseas aid budget. [2,3]

 

The hypocrisy in what the government is saying and what it is doing is palpable, and tells other world leaders that this type of behaviour is acceptable. This is not just our credibility at stake - it’s our forests, oceans, wildlife and billions of lives. Without being bold with our own commitments, how on earth can we expect others to act differently?

Climate leadership isn’t about warm words - it requires action, and the UK has a profound responsibility to set a strong example for other nations to follow. [4]

 

We’re far from setting that example right now - but we still have an opportunity to change course. We know the government responds to public pressure on issues like free school meals, and that Johnson wants these summits to be seen as a success. If we apply enough pressure, we can hold the government to account over its promises.

 

That’s why we’re launching a campaign to demand Boris Johnson takes real action on climate change - action on fossil fuels, action on the banks funding climate-wrecking industries, real protection for our forests and oceans, and increased funds to support the countries bearing the brunt of the crisis.

 

Will you back our campaign and add your name to our petition to the Prime Minister?

If we can pressure Johnson to deliver real action, it wouldn’t just affect the UK’s approach to climate change - the consequences would be truly global. [5]

 

Please add your name to our petition to Johnson, and watch out for more ways to take action soon, as we ramp up the pressure and demand - for once - real climate leadership from the UK. ✊

 

Thank you,

 

Sam

Greenpeace UK

 

 

P.S. It only takes a moment to add your name to our petition, and it would really help the campaign hit the ground running. Just click here to add your support - thank you.

 

P.P.S Got questions about this campaign? We're offering one-to-one Zoom chats with a member of our team who will be able to answer your questions and let you know how you can get involved. It’s so easy to sign up - just fill in our online booking form and we’ll sort the rest. 

 

Notes:

[1] As well as the G7 on 11-13 June 2021, the UK is also hosting the UN’s global climate change summit, COP26, currently scheduled for 1-12 November 2021.

[2] See, for example: ‘British banks finance 805m tonnes of CO2 production a year’, The Guardian, 25 May 2021.

[3] Find out how Boris Johnson is really doing on climate change: Boris Johnson: your climate change scorecard is ready, Greenpeace.

[4] At this year’s UN climate conference, countries will need to bring, and commit to, concrete plans for meeting their targets to reduce emissions. If we don’t have a serious, credible plan backed by action ourselves, the UK won’t be able to get any real commitments from others. The usual waffle and bluster won’t suffice!

[5] Want to learn more? We’ve attempted to answer some of the most common questions asked by supporters: Six tough questions about Greenpeace’s climate campaign, answered by experts, Greenpeace.

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