Surrey For Future and Sustainabiliteens displayed a banner in support of the Global Climate Strike on Friday (March 19).
The two organizations held a “banner drop” outside of Surrey Centre MP Randeep Sarai’s constituency office, advocating for climate action, according to a release. It was part of the Fridays for Future Global Day of Climate Action, “as youth activists around the world demand climate justice from world leaders.”
READ MORE: Surrey rallies for change in global climate strike, Sept. 20, 2019
The climate strikes are part of Fridays for Future, which was started by Swedish teen Greta Thunberg in August of 2018.
The two organizations are demanding the federal government amend Bill C-12, the Canadian Net Zero Emissions Accountability Act, “to include emissions targets for the year 2025.”
“The bill’s current 2030 targets will be too little, too late for Canada.”
Arshia Uppal, a youth activist with the Surrey Sustainabiliteens, said politicians need to be advocating for causes such as Bill C-12.
“When we work together, the climate movement goes from being ‘the climate crisis against the world’ to ‘the world against the climate crisis,’” she noted.
“The hard truth is that, although governments are becoming more inclined to listen to youth, they are most willing to make change when people in political power advocate for climate justice.”
Naisha Khan, also with Surrey Sustainabiliteens, said “we are tired and scared for our future.”
“We gathered in the middle of a pandemic to be here as we cannot simply just sit in class and watch the climate crisis worsen.”
Surrey For Future, according to the release, advocates for urgent climate action, organizing climate strikes since May 2019 and “successfully campaigned for the City of Surrey to declare a climate emergency in November 2019.”
The Surrey chapter of Sustainabiliteens was created in March 2020, and youth participated in the national “Not Going Back” campaign on Sept. 25, 2020 with a local youth climate strike.
READ MORE: ‘A great day’: Surrey council unanimously declares a climate emergency, Nov. 1, 2019
READ MORE: Surrey youth protest throne speech as part of Global Day of Action, Sept. 25, 2020
lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com
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