Local environmental campaigners have done a banner drop over the M4  calling for ‘genuine climate action’ ahead of a major international summit.

Members of Extinction Rebellion from Reading, Wokingham, and Bracknell gathered to the banner drop over the M4 at Shinfield ahead of the G7 summit this weekend.

Extinction Rebellion (XR) protestors engaged in events along the journey to the G7 venue at Carbis Bay, St Ives, Cornwall last week.

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The G7 is made up of the heads of Government of some of the world’s most powerful countries, the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

XR activists from Berkshire are calling for these leaders to take ‘genuine action’ to tackle climate change.

Adam Daum from XR Bracknell said: “The UK representatives at this G7 Summit bear particular responsibility for ensuring this is not just a self-congratulatory chat about their intentions to prevent climate change disasters. Their record is poor – continuing to allow banks to fund environmental climate destruction being a major example.

“In the meantime, the world’s poorest nations are already suffering the effects of climate change; others, including some wealthy nations are still in denial. Their time-tables require bringing forward; positive change is now essential.”

Bracknell News: Extinction Rebellion\'s banner drop on the Shinfield bridge over the M4. Credit Kate Cameron-Daum / Extinction Rebellion Berkshire

Helen Palmer from XR Reading said: “Governments have picked the low-hanging fruit, replacing coal-burning power stations with gas, and some gas with renewables.

“The changes we need now will involve us directly, and these won’t happen unless governments mobilise people -us- encouraging us to drive less and use our feet, bicycles, and public transport more; taxing frequent flyers; refitting our homes; reducing the amount of meat we eat; reducing the emissions embedded in the stuff we buy.

“These are the issues where we need government commitment, and the UK government has none whatsoever. Road transport in the UK releases the same amount of greenhouse gases as it did in 1990, yet our Prime Minister intends to spend another £27 billion on roads. Every major airport in the UK has plans to expand.  Our hope for the future – our only hope – depends on a major turn-around, and soon.”

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XR is also organising demonstrations ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). Dani Esposito from XR Wokingham said:  “We are rapidly running out of time to avert the worst outcomes of climate breakdown. We are calling on G7 nations and the UK, host of COP26 in November, for immediate change. We are drowning in promises and rhetoric. We need effective rapid action NOW.”

The G7 summit will be taking place this weekend (June 11-13).

This year, the summit will be attended by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Suga Yoshihide, the Prime Minister of Japan.

Bracknell News: Extinction Rebellion\'s banner drop on the Shinfield bridge over the M4. Credit Kate Cameron-Daum / Extinction Rebellion Berkshire

The G7 was meant to meet at Camp David, Maryland, USA in 2020 but the meeting was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Berkshire XR activists conducted the banner drop on Thursday, June 3. It is understood the drop was done on the A327 bridge over the M4 off the Black Boy Roundabout.

The UK Parliament declared a climate emergency in May 2019, with Reading Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council followed suit later that year. Bracknell Forest Council stopped short of declaring a climate emergency, but has committed to eliminating its net carbon emissions by 2050.