School Students Strike For Climate Action Demanding Change

A student lead, Australia wide climate strike took to the streets on Friday demanding action from Federal and State governments to future protect the planet.

Thousands of students will be taking part in more than 35 in-person and online events across Australia's vast regions and metropolis city's in the School Strike 4 Climate, encouraging young people and their allies to apply pressure on the federal government over its climate policies.

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Delivering a clear message to Prime Minister Scott Morrison ahead of the COP26 Climate Summit, where his unlikely attendance has not gone unnoticed by the Queen, who has hit out saying "It’s really irritating when they talk, but they don’t do," young Australians are demanding politicians treat climate change as what it is: a crisis.‌

Standing arm-in-arm with the students (symbolically speaking) will be parents, unions and First Nations communities with the country’s education unions supporting Friday’s strike action.

“Students and young people are counting on us. Australia must take an ambitious pledge to the Glasgow COP26 Summit and work towards a safe, fair and prosperous future for young Australians,” the joint- statement from the Australian Education Union, Independent Education Union and National Tertiary Education Union said.

“Our three unions, representing nearly 300,000 education workers, support this urgent call from students for a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects, 100 per cent renewable energy by the end of the decade and the funding of a just transition for fossil fuel workers.”

With the Federal government not budging on its committed 26 to 28 per cent decrease in emissions by 2030, to meet the 50 per cent target that other nations have pledged, the School Strike 4 Climate are demanding climate action before it’s too late.

Their demands include:

• No new coal, oil and gas projects, including the Adani mine
• 100% renewable energy generations and exports by 2030
• Fund a just transition and job creation for all fossil-fuel workers and their communities

To find your nearest strike, click here.

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