‘Don’t bury heads in the sand’ over climate fear

Environment: Stunt staged at beach

Climate change campaigners have buried their heads in the sand on a Moray Firth beach ahead of global talks tomorrow.

Finance ministers from across the G20 group of most influential countries in the world will meet virtually over the weekend to plot the global recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In advance of that gathering, however, there have been warnings that climate change action cannot be ignored amid the investment in economies.

Activists have argued the global coronavirus outbreak should be a “crossroads” at which governments come together to solve the collective concern of global warming and create more jobs to

“This moment must bring the multilateral effort that is required”

drive the turnaround. Yesterday members of

Extinction Rebellion groups from across Moray and the Highlands buried their heads in the sand on Nairn’s Central Beach to signify their impression of the environmental attitudes of world leaders until now.

Campaigner Rachel Winter, who is a member of the Forres group, said now was the time to invest in cleaner public transport, dedicate more funds to renewable energy and help communities become more resilient.

“Decisions made at the G20 meeting will have a huge effect on the health and wellbeing of people around the world, particularly on those already on the front lines of the climate crisis,” she said.

“The recovery cannot be every nation for itself, and this moment must bring the vision of multilateral effort that is required.

“Governments have a duty to protect us. This is a time to be decisive in saving lives and bold in charting a path to a healthy and more equitable future and to help create jobs for those who will be left high and dry by the oil industry when it inevitably declines.”

The UK’s Chancellor Rishi Sunak will be taking part in the weekend’s talks as well as representatives from 18 other nations and the European Union.

About 30 activists spread out across the sand to take part in yesterday’s demonstration in Nairn.

Organisers explained numbers had been kept low in order to comply with current Covid-19 guidance.

Photograph by Jason Hedges MOVEMENT: Climate campaigners call on leaders to pull their heads out of the sand.