Tens of thousands of people marched Sunday through the Belgian capital Brussels to the EU’s headquarters to demand greater action to combat climate change ahead of a major UN summit.
Record heatwaves across Europe this month have raised concerns about the impact that man-made climate change is having on the continent.
Delegates from around the globe will gather in the Turkish resort town of Antalya next month for the annual COP gathering.
But expectations are low that the meeting will yield any major breakthroughs, as the United States under Donald Trump has disengaged from the process and momentum is waning in Europe.
Sunday’s protest was organised by Climate Coalition, in collaboration with other groups, including Groen, Flanders’ green political party.
Climate Coalition listed five key demands, including the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies and taxing the fossil fuel sector, more green spaces, a fair climate transition, more support for citizens and businesses to move away from fossil fuels, and more international co-operation in fighting climate change.
President of the Green Party in Flanders and Brussels, Aimen Horch, told Euronews that the demands have remained unchanged, however the sense of urgency has never been greater.
Belgium, like many other European countries, has experienced unpredented spike in excess deaths during the extreme heatwaves that swept across the continent this summer.
“People actually died from the heat. They felt that the conditions of their homes made it impossible to sleep at night. They saw the wildfires in the High Fens, one of the country’s most important nature reserves, and saw that the government did nothing,” Horch said.
Many demonstrators at the march, including Horch, voiced their frustration at politicians’ lack of action, as climate goals appear to be losing priority on the political agenda, with many governments scaling back their ambitions.
“We have to fight in the European Parliament and here in Belgium to make sure climate stays on top of the agency, because the urgency is not gone. The heatwaves are not gone. The impact of climate change on people’s daily lives is not gone.
Police put the number of participants at the march — the latest in a series to be held in Brussels — at 45,000. The organisers estimate roughly 60,000 people attended.
“There is a great deal of concern among the population, not just among the protesters today”, said economist Etienne de Callatay, as he attended the march.
“The extreme heat we experienced this summer is something everyone was aware of. Politicians shouldn’t be afraid of electoral repercussions if they take courageous measures on environmental issues.”
Aurore Schreiber, who works for a development cooperation NGO, said she had attended with her family “so that politicians wake up and hear the citizens’ message”.
“We need to listen to the demands of young people and the most vulnerable”, she said. “We need greener, fairer supply chains that take into account workers’ issues and wages”.
EU’s low expectations for COP31
After having its hopes dashed for a more ambitious deal last year in Brazil, the European Union is setting its sights low for next month’s COP31.
With climate sceptic Trump withdrawing the United States from the negotiations, international efforts to combat global warming had already taken a battering.
But now the situation looks even less promising as surging energy prices have put major oil and gas producers in a position of strength that makes them less likely to want to discuss phasing out fossil fuels.
The EU insists it remains the global leader on climate action and is the principal international donor in the field.
But the bloc arrives at the COP having recently watered down its own environmental legislation.
As it struggles to compete with China and the United States, Brussels has been on an increasingly business-friendly push.
The most recent example last month was the commission proposing to postpone the implementation of a law targeting methane — an extremely polluting greenhouse gas — by one year, from 2027 to 2028.