Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change

Inaugural Moreland Climate CUP highlights Race to Zero Emissions – Melbourne joins Global Day of action #COP26

November 6, 2021 at 5:58 pm John Englart Leave a comment

A few months ago the idea was floated in the Moreland Climate Coalition to hold an event around Melbourne Cup day, which also coincided with the UN Climate Change conference, COP26, meeting in Glasgow.

But at that early stage all of Melbourne was in lockdown due to the pandemic with limits on public gatherings, with the vaccination program delayed due to Federal Government vaccine ordering incompetence, and was still ramping up.

When we started organising we didn’t know how many people could meet for a protest under the public health regulations. But as vaccination rate grew rapidly 30 people became the number of fully vaccinated people to meet publicly. Three covidsafe events were held in Moreland, with other climate protests in the city and at St Kilda as part of the Global day of action called by the COP26 Coalition in Glasgow.

Groups invloved with Moreland Climate Coalition included Neighbours United for Climate Action, Stop Adani Moreland, Climate Action Moreland, XR Moreland, ACF Community NxNW. a Pre-registration form was organised, and QR Codes for each event. We settled, in the end, on 3 events across Moreland: meeting at Warr Park in Brunswick; meeting at Victoria Street Mall in Coburg, and at Newlands. Each event united through using the #MorelandClimateCup hashtag and having the same base set of demands.

We chose Saturday 6 November rather than CUP day to do our Race to Zero event. While the Spring Racing Carnival is still on, Our Moreland Climate CUP is far more significant with the Race to Zero Emissions.

Our Demands were kept simple:

1. 100% renewable energy by 2030 – End public funding of coal, oil and gas.
2. Expand public transport networks & bike paths to encourage people to reduce car use. Shift vehicles to electric.
3. Address the biodiversity Crisis, fund species conservation to prevent extinctions. End Native Logging by 2024. Implement Australian Trees and Biodiversity Plan to reduce climate pollution by at least 1 billion tonnes by 2030.
4. Australia to contribute its fair share of global climate finance to support low-income countries implementing climate action.
5. Climate justice means creating alternative jobs for fossil fuel workers and their communities, funding Indigenous-led land management with jobs on country to repair ecosystems, reduce emissions and reduce fire risk.
6. Make the climate criminals pay. Put a levy on fossil fuel companies to help pay for the crisis.
7. Phase out gas in Moreland

Our local Moreland events ocurred from 10.30am to 11.30am. There was a larger gathering climate protest organised at 1pm outside the State Library in the city which people could also attend, and #Extinction Rebellion also held a Koala funeral march at St Kilda.

Coburg Zero Emission Race and march to Labor MP Peter Khalil’s Office

The Coburg event had a mock race with two cardboard horses at Victoria Street Mall, and also heard a number of speeches. We then marched down Sydney Road to Labor MP Peter Khalil’s office where a short overview was given of the COP26 negotiations by Climate Action Moreland Convenor John Englart highlighting the new research on the problem of gas and Labor’s present National policy platform endorsing gas expansion for Australia out of sync with both the scoience in the IPCC 6th assessment report and the International Energy Agency Roadmap to net zero 2050 report. See More photos at John Englart Flickr Album.

More photos from AHEDRA/ Union Aid Abroad Facebook:

Thanks Lisa:

Newlands Neighbourhood House Forest event:

The Newlands Friends of the Forest organised a gathering focussed on ending logging, preserving forests, especially Victorian forests presently being clear felled logged by Vic Forests.

The Brunswick Event:

Event in Warr Park, Brunswick featured a Race to Zero Emissions. The MP for Brunswick Tim Read attended and spoke and was at the finish line cheering people on.

Extinction Rebellion Koala Funeral march

Meanwhile, there was a gathering on unceded Bunurong land for the koala funeral march in St Kilda, Naarm/Melbourne. See The Age photo documentary on the CBD and St Kilda protests: Extinction Rebellion COP26 protests took place in Melbourne as part of an international day of action

In the city outside the State Library Uni Students had organised a protest

Uni Students for Climate Justice rally at the State Library at 1pm:

Another report from Act on Climate of the State Library rally;

Round One to Greta

At the start of COP26 Climate Guardians rang the bells on Princes Bridge, Melbourne

The climate Guardians were prominent in Paris in 2015 when the Paris Agreement was agreed to. Civil society brought enormous pressure to ensure just transition, human rights and 1.5C target were included in the agreement. The climate angels captivated Paris with their moving street theatre. At the start of COP26 in Glasgow as the opening plenary was ocurring a climate Guardian performance ringing the bells on Princes Bridge is equally symbolic in the call for action.

Entry filed under: climate change info, Climate Emergency, Event, news, rallies & protests, UNFCCC. Tags: Brunswick, climate justice, Coburg, COP26, Moreland, Moreland Climate CUP, Newlands, Protest.