* Caroline Lucas MP to deliver speech at London march
* Lucas: ‘Sunday’s demonstration will send a crucial message to the British Government. They must be bold in the Paris climate talks and beyond’
* Leading Greens to attend 11.30 pre-march photo-call in London on Sunday
Green Party politicians, members and activists will attend the People’s March for Climate, Justice and Jobs events in London, Edinburgh, and Cardiff this weekend (28-29 November) to draw attention to the biggest challenge of our time - climate crisis - on the eve of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris.
Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, who will be delivering a speech at the London march (1), said:
“I’m marching on Sunday alongside thousands of others who are part of a global movement for climate justice. We refuse to accept warm words from the Government when it’s urgent action that is required.
“Just days before the crucial Paris Climate talks we've seen George Osborne unveil a Spending Review that utterly fails to answer the biggest challenge of our time. The CSR should have been climate-proofed, with all spending commitments assessed as to whether they help cut carbon emissions - but instead we've seen the gutting of both the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Department for the Environment.
“Just as it was announced that there were 43,900 excess winter deaths last year, we see nothing like the kind of action on cold homes we desperately need to save lives and cut carbon emissions.
“Sunday’s demonstration will send a crucial message to the British Government. They must be bold in the Paris climate talks and beyond – reversing the cuts to renewable power and putting citizens not corporations at the heart of our energy future.”
Speaking ahead of the march, Natalie Bennett, Green Party Leader, said:
“Greens up and down the country will be marching this weekend to demonstrate to world leaders that Paris presents a genuine opportunity for real action to be taken to tackle climate change.
“Sadly, Prime Minister David Cameron’s declared climate change objectives simply do not marry up with the government’s destructive environmental policies.
“It makes no climate sense that this government speaks about the need for action to tackle climate change yet wants to expand airports, is promoting fracking, tearing out the foundations for renewable energy, and failing to move away from reliance on fossil fuels.”
Bennett, Lucas, and Deputy Leaders Shahrar Ali and Amelia Womack will all march with the Green Bloc at the main march in London on Sunday (29 November). Also in attendance will be Pippa Bartolotti, Leader of the Wales Green Party, Jean Lambert MEP, Cllr Sian Berry, the Green Party’s London 2015 Mayoral candidate, and Cllr Caroline Russell, number two on the Greens’ London Assembly list. Baroness Jenny Jones will be in Paris this weekend ahead of the climate talks. Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for the South-West, and Keith Taylor, MEP for the South-East, are attending climate marches in Bristol and Bruges, respectively.
Notes:
1) In London, the Green Bloc will assemble for the march on the corner of Park Lane and Deanery Street (near the Dorchester Hotel, W1K 1QA). Join us at 11:30AM for a photocall with Green politicians. Map here: http://bit.ly/1HcO5b7