Simon Hunter
ENVIRONMENTAL campaigning organisation Greenpeace staged a demonstration on Sunday in Madrid, to coincide with the start of the COP27 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt.
The message of Sunday’s protests was directed at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and was a call for better access to renewable energy sources.
Around 40 activists gathered at the Templo de Debod monument on Sunday morning, holding a massive banner that read: “Pedro, we need this today! Renewables for everyone now!” They were also carrying portable solar panels.
The NGO chose the Templo de Debod monument in the centre of the city for the protest, given that the structure is an ancient Egyptian temple that was gifted to Spain by Egypt in 1968. Greenpeace described the temple as the “biggest symbol of Egyptian culture in Spain”.
Greenpeace said that it was calling on the Socialist Party leader to “commit to climate justice, finance the losses and damage caused by climate change, and bring renewable energy to all”.
The environmental organisation also said it was calling on Spain’s administrations to “do their bit and speed up the energy transition to renewables that respect people and biodiversity”.
“We are sick of so much energy corruption and want the energy transition to speed up […],” said María Prado, campaign coordinator for Greenpeace. “Pedro Sánchez has a golden opportunity to launch a clear message that the cultural, political and economic hegemony of fossil fuels is over […],” she added.
Read more:
- Greenpeace to give workshop in Spain’s Malaga early November to promote renewable energy
- Greenpeace hangs big rubber shark outside Spain’s Ministry of Fisheries in Madrid on UN World Oceans Day
