Greenpeace staged a protest outside the federal parliament in Brussels on Thursday as the new parliamentary session began, urging politicians to put the climate crisis back at the top of the agenda.
About 10 activists hung a large banner on the fence along Rue de Loi between 14:30 and 14:50. It read: “Our house is on fire. Start acting like it”.
The action referred to the past summer, which saw extreme heat, drought and wildfires.
Two police officers attended the scene. After consulting with police, the Greenpeace activists removed the banner themselves.
There was also a brief disturbance from the public gallery inside the Chamber, but question time was not interrupted.
Joeri Thijs, spokesperson for Greenpeace Belgium, said the summer should be “a real wake-up call”. He pointed to the wildfire in the High Fens and to what he said were “nearly 3,000” additional deaths linked to the heat.
Related News
- Landscape and infrastructure: How prepared is Belgium for future wildfires?
- June heat wave caused higher excess mortality than predicted
- Socialist party PS to propose a climate emergency bill
Figures from health institute Sciensano showed that during the heatwave there were 2,112 more deaths than would normally be expected in Belgium over that period.
“We expect the government not to simply carry on as usual when the country has quite literally been on fire,” Thijs said.
Greenpeace said the climate crisis should remain high on the political agenda because of its impact on public finances, health, wellbeing, and food and energy prices.
The organisation called for action on two main fronts. It said Belgium must better adapt to the current and future climate, including by making homes, hospitals and care homes more resilient to heat and by creating more space for nature.
It also called for greater public support for citizens and businesses to help them move away from fossil fuels.
Greenpeace said its message was aimed at the federal government and members of the federal parliament.
