Climate activist Wouter Mouton glued himself to the road on Thursday on Rue de la Loi, near the official residence of Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
Today marks the beginning of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, which De Croo is attending. Mouton's protest aims to highlight COP28's failure to engender a meaningful environmental strategy. The 46-year-old wore a bib around his neck to symbolise political inaction while he waved an 'Extinction Rebellion' flag.
"Today begins flop 28 – I mean COP28," said Mouton. "Once again, the chances are high that the tens and thousands of ministers and officials present will fail to provide an adequate response to the rapidly worsening ecological crisis."
Mouton's track record for dramatic protest has already garnered significant attention, most notably when he glued his head to Vermeer's 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' in The Hague in 2022.
OUR FRIENDS HAVE GLUED THEMSELVES TO THE GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING TO SOUND THE ALARM. IF WE DO NOT STOP EXTRACTING FOSSIL FUELS IMMEDIATELY, THERE WILL SOON BE NO ONE LEFT TO MARVEL AT HER.#TellTheTruth #JustStopOil #ClimateCrisis #GirlWithAPearlEarring #TomatoSoup pic.twitter.com/O2AJbajHuD
— Extinction Rebellion Belgium (@XR_Belgium) October 29, 2022
COP28 is regarded as the most important global response to climate change. The fact that this year's host Sultan Al Jaber is the CEO of a national oil company has raised concerns about a conflict of interest at the heart of the conference.
