Thousands of people in Australia are participating in a nationwide climate protest

Thousands of people in Australia He took to the streets across the country on Friday to protest the weather. Many students stayed away from class to deal with anger over a planned gas station and a reluctant climate policy. Government To create air. At rallies in several cities from Perth to Brisbane, protesters called for conservatism Government On, against and more Climate change To do so, this is already clearly observed in Australia.

Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison It announced on Tuesday that it was planning to build a new gas power plant near Sydney, despite warnings from environmental experts. His Government To hundreds of millions Dollar Release for the project. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has previously warned that construction could miss important emissions targets.

“Die Morrison-Government It may be our climate, our country and ours Water Protect and create thousands of new jobs by expanding the renewable energy sector in Australia, ”said Nabila Chaudhry, a 17-year-old protester in Sydney. “Instead, they are filling the pockets of multinational gas companies that promote climate change.”

In Melbourne, about 5,000 people took to the streets, with signs reading “Coal History” and “Funded Our Future.” Swedish environmental activist and student initiator of climate struggles, Greta DunbergSupported the Australian opposition through Twitter: “Great weather attacks across Australia today,” he wrote in a text message service. “Soon other parts of the world will participate.”

Morrison justifies his plans for the Hunter Valley power plant with social features: “It will create about 600 new jobs during construction and 1,200 indirect jobs across the state,” the prime minister said. Power station needed to keep electricity prices low in New South Wales.

Despite the protests, the Prime Minister is under little domestic pressure to change his climate policy. The opposition Labor Party supports the operation of coal mining and coal power plants. However, with the International Climate Summit in Glasgow in November, international pressure is mounting on Australia to set a date for achieving climate neutrality.

Australia is one of the world’s largest producers of coal and natural gas. In recent years, the country has suffered from severe droughts, floods and wildfires. Of Climate change The situation is According to experts Further tightened.