ON SATURDAY (November 12), the streets of Caernarfon were filled with people from across North Wales marching for climate justice, part of a global day of action to mark COP27 in Egypt.

The event, called “A Funeral of Promises”, saw people dressed in black marching silently through the town, to the sound of a slow drumbeat, carrying a cardboard coffin labelled “climate promises”. 

Organised by a coalition of groups including Climate Cymru, XR Bangor and GwyrddNi, speakers from North Wales Africa Society talked about the impacts of climate change in Africa and the global south, and highlighted the urgent need for a fast and globally fair transition. 

COP27, the largest annual gathering of world leaders on climate action, is currently being held in Egypt, with many countries still not having followed through on pledges made last year in Glasgow at COP26.

In 2015, at the Paris Agreement during COP21, world leaders agreed to limit the temperature increase of greenhouse emissions globally to 1.5 degrees. 

But the latest United Nations report said that global warming is at risk of reaching tipping points that will make change irreversible, and there is currently “no credible pathway to 1.5°C in place.”

A 45 per cent cut in emissions by 2030 is the only way of keeping temperature increases to 1.5°C, which would involve “urgent system-wide transformation”, particularly changes to our energy, food and financial systems.

Anna-Jane Evans, minister and Caernarfon town councillor, was one of the speakers.

She said: “Global temperatures are rising. Energy bills are rising. Billionaire profits are rising.

“While people are being forced to choose between heating and eating, energy companies are making record-breaking profits.

“To stop this crisis we need real government action that cuts carbon, and tackles inequality.” 

Elijah Everett, 26, a language teacher from Caernarfon, said: “I was happy to see so many people turn out to protest, but the government’s inaction on climate change is very worrying.

“The poorest countries, who have contributed the least to global warming, are paying the price with famines, floods, crop failures, fires and rising poverty.

“Yet the UK Government is refusing to listen and is ramping up more fossil fuels, removing nature protections, and cutting wages.”

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Morris Owen, 56, a farmer from Brynsiencyn, said: “I was very inspired to see so many young people at the march today.

“It is their future we are destroying by burning more fossil fuels. I’m here because we need to stick to the target of 1.5 degrees that we agreed in the Paris Agreement.

“The government is doing too much green-washing, rather than real action.” 

Alison Shaw, a retired teacher from Conwy, added: “What a great turnout in Caernarfon. So many people concerned for the future of life on this planet.

“BP and Shell recorded £15.3billion in profits between them from July to September, while many people are having to choose between heating or eating this winter.

“That’s not fair, and it’s wrecking our planet.”