Hundreds of environmentalists blocked private planes from taking off from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport in a demonstration on the eve of the COP27 climate meeting in Egypt.
‘Greenpeace’ and ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protesters sat around private planes to prevent them from taking off, while others rode bicycles around the planes.
Dewi Zloch of Greenpeace Netherlands said activists wanted “less flights, more trains and a ban on unnecessary short-haul flights and private planes”.
Military police said they had arrested several protesters for being on the airport premises without authorization.
Responding on Friday to an open letter from ‘Greenpeace’, the new CEO of Schiphol Airport, Ruud Sondag, stressed that his goal is “emission-free airports by 2030 and climate-neutral aviation by 2050. And we have a duty to lead the way in this”, he underlined.
More than 120 world leaders will take part in this year’s UN climate talks at the Red Sea coastal ‘resort’ of Sharm el-Sheikh starting Sunday.
Poignant issues will be discussed in the negotiations until the 18th, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing financial aid for poor countries struggling with the impacts of climate change.
Source: TSF
