Tens of thousands march for climate in Brussels – EU environment ministers discuss COP31
Police say 45,000 people marched through Brussels. Today environment ministers meet in Luxembourg to set the EU line for the climate conference in Antalya.
Photo: Bence Damokos / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Video: YouTube · euronews · youtube.com
Around 45,000 people demonstrated for stronger climate action in Brussels on Sunday, according to police; organisers put the figure at about 60,000. The march towards the EU institutions was called by the Climate Coalition alliance and backed by groups including the Flemish green party Groen. According to Euronews, its five demands include an end to fossil fuel subsidies, more green spaces, a fair transition, more support for switching away from fossil fuels and stronger international cooperation.
Groen leader Aimen Horch pointed to deaths during this summer's heatwaves and wildfires in the High Fens, saying "the urgency is not gone". The backdrop is the UN climate conference COP31, to be held in November in Antalya, Türkiye. Belgium saw an unprecedented spike in excess deaths during this summer's heatwaves. Expectations are low, partly because the US under President Donald Trump has disengaged from the process, Euronews reports.
On Monday, EU environment ministers meet in Luxembourg. According to the Council, they are expected to approve conclusions on the EU position for COP31 and for the COP17 biodiversity conference, held from 19 to 30 October in Yerevan, Armenia. They will also hold a policy debate on the review of the emissions trading system, which the Commission proposed in July as part of implementing the 2040 climate target.