Thousands of demonstrators are expected for the Climate March to be held in Brussels on Sunday 23 October and organised by the Climate Coalition, an umbrella of more than 90 environmental organisations, trade unions and citizens' movements.
The event is being held in the run-up to the 27th International Climate Change Conference (COP), which will take place from 6 to 18 November in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The organisers want to use the march to press policymakers into taking concrete measures against climate change. “It is too early to say it is too late,” they say. “It is still possible to limit global warming to 1.5°C.”
They are also asking for solutions to the energy and food crisis. “Due to climate change, exacerbated by the international crisis, we are now paying the hard price for our dependence on fossil fuels," the organisers said. "The exploding energy bills are literally leaving us out in the cold.”
They are thus demanding a tax on the excess profits of energy companies and a housing and energy pact. In addition, the Coalition draws attention to the pressure on the global food system, which suffers from droughts and floods as a result of global warming and the decline in biodiversity.
The umbrella organisation is therefore calling for a “long-term vision for the agriculture sector” along with “the necessary support for the transition to agro-ecological practices” and “access to sustainable, varied and high-quality food for all.”
Sunday's march starts at 1 pm at the North Station in Brussels, then heads towards the Cinquantenaire Park.
