A protest is taking place in Salisbury city centre today

Salisbury Journal | 18 May 2022

A protest is taking place in Salisbury city centre today

By Annette Young

Protestors will be gathering in the market square at midday today ready to march to the Rockhopper Exploration headquarters in Castle Street.

Rockhopper Exploration is suing the Italian government for £236 million due to its refusal to allow oil drilling off the Adriatic Coast.

The International Energy Agency has stated that no new investments in fossil fuels should occur after 2021 and protestors are concerned that it would put the 1.5°C target at risk.

Global Justice Now (GJN) is leading the protest along with Extinction Rebellion Salisbury, Extinction Rebellion Wimborne and XR Bath Samba.

Nick Dearden is the director of Global Justice Now and said: “The fossil fuel industry is already doing everything in its power to delay and deter climate action, and we have lost too much time already to this glacial pace.

“The last thing we need is for governments to give these companies a secret weapon in their battle to squeeze maximum profits out of climate breakdown. But that’s what we’ll be doing if we fail to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty.”

Protests are planned across the country this week to demand the UK withdraws from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).

50 countries are party to the treaty, but this is the final round of talks, and the deadline is June. At this point, the EU will consider withdrawal if the treaty has not been aligned with the Paris Agreement.