The citizens' collective Rise for Climate Belgium gathered around fifty people on Saturday afternoon at Schuman Square in Brussels, Belga News Agency reports.
Demonstrators were keen to remind the EU Commission of their demands for COP27, which is currently being held in Egypt, starting with respect for the Paris Agreement.
Activists from the NGO FairFin also pinned fake 200 euro notes on a wire, dipped in green, to denounce the "greenwashing" of banks at COP27.
"We demand compliance with the Paris Agreement by all governments present at COP27," said Kim Le Quang, spokesperson for Rise for climate Belgium, on Saturday.
"We also ask for the acceleration of European climate measures, because carbon neutrality in 2050 is far too late. European NGOs are asking for example to reduce GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions by at least 65% by 2030, compared to 1990," he said. "Finally, we ask to promote renewable energies and to order an end to fossil fuel subsidies.
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The NGO FairFin echoed this point. During Saturday's action on the Place Schuman, its activists arranged a thread on which were pinned dummy 200-euro notes covered in green. This symbolic action represented the way in which banks are using COP27 to give a misleading image of their ecological responsibility.
For the NGO, there is no need to be fooled: these financial companies are in fact continuing to invest massively in fossil fuels. "It is unacceptable that banks and financial actors use the climate summit to whitewash themselves," said Marie Jans of FairFin.
