The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) on 1-12 November 2021 aims to ‘accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’. Attendees are expected to be representatives of Parties to the Convention and Observer States, members of the press and media, and representatives of observer organisations. 1. 30,000 people are expected to attend the event in Scotland from over 200 countries. 2.

This year’s COP goals are:

• Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach.
• Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
• Mobilise finance
• Work together to deliver.

Climate activist campaigners from a number of protesting groups such as Extinction Rebellion (XR), Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, UKSCN and Stop Cambo are highly likely to protest in a number of cities and locations across Scotland between 1 st and 12th November as Glasgow hosts COP26. Glasgow (hosting the event) and Edinburgh (seat of the Scottish parliament, previous target for Stop Cambo occupations) are highly likely to be the most affected locations with traffic disruption and demonstrations anticipated.

Individuals requiring travel into Central Edinburgh and Glasgow during this period for business and Leisure should be aware of the risks of activist demonstrations and seek opportunities to minimise their travel during these times. Businesses should also review their access routes in and out of their buildings and seek to ensure alternative routes are available in the event some become compromised.

PREVIOUS SUMMITS

COP26 has been delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COP25 was held in Madrid, Spain in 2019 (after Brazil and Chile stepped down from hosting duties). Its aim was to finalise guidelines (‘Katowice rulebook’) governing the Paris Agreement of 2015. This was to establish rules on how governments implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). 3.

The change of country and continent shortly prior to COP25 meant that a number of activists, who set sail across the Atlantic Ocean to South America in advance of the conference, missed the conference. Youth activist Greta Thunberg (Greta is now 18 years old) delivered her speech ‘How dare you’ which received large press coverage. 4. The conference drew protests Europe-wide with marches reported in Spain, Brussels, Paris and the UK (where access was blocked to Heathrow airport). 5. Youth climate activists were particularly prevalent in the COP25 protests. ‘Fridays for Future’ the global movement motivated after Greta Thunberg’s school strikes called for action stating the summit ‘has failed us’. 6.

‘Fridays for Future’ recorded 115,910 individuals conducting strikes in March 2021, under their banner, in the March of 2019 this was significantly higher with 2,280,959. In November 2019 this halved to 1,192,120.

The Youth Summit 28-30 Sep 21

The Youth Summit – ‘YOUTH4CLIMATE: Driving Ambition’ was held in Milan last week (28-30 Sep 21)

‘Offer young people from all over the world the opportunity to develop concrete proposals for Pre-COP26 in Milan and COP26 in Glasgow’ 7.

Attended by youth activists from around the globe, the summit coincided with a pre-planned Global Climate Strike protest arranged for the preceding week where Thunberg addressed world leaders challenging their efforts at combating climate change describing it as 30 years of ‘blah…blah…blah…’
#

“Build back better. Blah, blah, blah. Green economy. Blah blah blah. Net zero by 2050. Blah, blah, blah…This is all we hear from our so-called leaders. Words that sound great but so far have not led to action. Our hopes and ambitions drown in their empty promises.”8.

Hundreds of thousands of mostly youth activists from almost 100 countries took part in the strike in over 700 locations. 9. 10.

Targeted locations in Scotland included: 11. 12.

• Glasgow – Youth Activists marched from Kelvingrove Park to Georges Square (next to the Glasgow City Council offices). 250 people were believed to be in attendance.
• Edinburgh – Youth protestors gathered outside Holyrood House, the seat of the Scottish Parliament. 300+ people in attendance, eighteen people were arrested.
• Ullapool – A weekly protest continued on Quay Street.
• Stirling – Protestors demonstrated on Port Street
• St Andrews – A march was arranged from St Salvator’s Quad to West Sands
• East Kilbride – Demonstrators protested outside the Civic Centre
• Forres – A march was arranged from Thomson Memorial to Grant Park

BING MAPS 2021

SCOTTISH PROTEST ACTIVITY OF NOTE (LAST TWO YEARS)

Previous Scottish protest activity regarding Climate Change has been concentrated mainly in Glasgow and Edinburgh. This year alone there have been ‘Stop Cambo’ occupations at Queen Elizabeth House, Edinburgh; COP26/G7/XR protests outside Glasgow City Chambers and Holyrood House, Edinburgh. In previous years XR rebellion were identified blocking the thoroughfare on North bridge in Edinburgh and the entrance to the INEOS terminal at Grangemouth. The First Minister’s official residence in Edinburgh has also seen a number of anti-lockdown protests over the past 18 months.
13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.

POLICE UPDATES

As of 1st October 2021, it will become a criminal offence to protest outside the Scottish Parliament “without lawful authority” with fines imposed of £5,000 or a year in jail. It is understood these additional measures have been granted under The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 2005 bringing the Holyrood Estate in line with similar measures exercised by the Houses of Parliament and the Welsh Senedd. 23. There are also plans to increase the sessions available to the Scottish court during the summit in order to deal with the anticipated large numbers of arrests.24.

Existing Nationwide counter-terror and criminal police operation, Project Servator, will become part of the COP26 policing tactics and aims to disrupt a range of criminal activity including terrorism. Initiated in 2014 by the City of London police, Project Servator was adopted Nationwide after a successful trial. 25. Police Scotland’s Project Servator together with community and business partnerships will aim to ‘continue to protect our streets and everyone who lives, works or visits here’ and hope it will provide ‘a reassuring presence for the public’. 26.

Police Scotland have provided information on the purpose of Project Servator and how to report any concerns.

Information from Police Scotland regarding COP26 27.
• Planning for COP26 has been under way for over a year
• “With an event of this scale, disruption is inevitable but we are working with partners to keep this to a minimum.” Deputy Chief Constable Kerr
• Police Scotland is encouraging the public to play their part by reminding them to be vigilant and report anything that seems out of place or unusual.
• Around 10,000 officers will be deployed each day during the COP26, one of the largest policing operations undertaken in Britain.
• Police Officers will be deployed from each of Scotland’s 13 divisions and specialist resources, including firearms officers, dog handlers, mounted branch,
search teams and the marine unit.

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August 22nd to September 5th 2021 saw two weeks of climate protest disruption from activist group Extinction Rebellion (XR) entitled ‘The Impossible Rebellion’. XR’s modus operandi continues to be targeting both the UK Government and the fossil fuel industry, as well as those companies who are financially affiliated. Joined by other prominent protest groups, such as Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Kill the Bill, their message was delivered across several activist platforms online and in person across multiple locations. This in turn increased attendance, awareness and reach. I.

THE COST

During the 2021 Impossible Rebellion, the police in London made over 480 arrests and brought in ‘thousands of officers a day’ to assist with policing the event. Officers removed 133 protestors who secured themselves to structures (including tables and vans). Financial institutions, Government buildings, museums, food outlets, a dairy distribution centre and Buckingham Palace were all targeted with demonstrations or occupations. Main London roads were blocked including Tower Bridge, London Bridge and Oxford Street. II III. associated policing cost has not yet been calculated. IV. The week long XR event in October 2019 (XR Rainbow Rebellion 7-14 October 2019) cost GBP 16 Million to police. After the October 2019 protests, 120 tonnes of rubbish were left on the street costing GBP 50,000 to clean up. V. VI.

REACTION

Deputy assistant commissioner, Matt Twist explained his frustration at the disruption describing it as ‘very serious’ and ‘totally unreasonable’, adding:

“They have the right to protest and assemble together, but this right must be balanced with the rights of others – those wanting to go about their lawful business unimpeded and without disruption…They’ve blocked traffic on two of London’s busiest bridges, defaced iconic landmarks and disrupted critical road junctions. Commuters’ journeys have been delayed, businesses had deliveries cancelled and the owners of landmarks have faced costly repairs.”

Extinction Rebellion replied stating:
“We will leave the streets when the Government starts treating the climate emergency like an emergency…Covid showed what the Government can do in a crisis, it’s the level of response required for the climate but sustained over years.” VII.

Protests at St Pauls Cathedral drew criticism from MPs including Tim Farron and Simon Fell. Fell in particular described the protest in St Pauls Cathedral during mass as ‘mindless’ VIII. and risked alienating the public. Rev’d Canon Jonathan Herbert, one of the Christian climate protestors responded saying:
“The Church Commissioners… don’t invest in companies producing arms or tobacco, but surely investing in fossil fuels, with what we now know, is almost as deadly.” IX.

WANING SUPPORT

Its possible XR’s popularity was not helped by the actions of splinter group ‘Insulate Britain’, who blocked a number of junctions on the M25 during rush hour five times in the last eight days, creating miles long delays and violent clashes with frustrated motorists. Police have made over 78 arrests as drivers complained about six hour tail-backs and delays getting to hospital due to the disruption. X.
Commentators suggest XR’s numbers are down from previous years (despite their multi-activist platform), with some noting arrests and attendance are much lower. XI.
Damien Gayle and Damian Carrington, writing for The Guardian newspaper, suggest support for XR is already waning within their own circles and highlight the stark difference in arrest figures from previous action. For example in April 2019, during almost two weeks of demonstrations, 1,130 activists were arrested by police, in October of the same year during a similar rebellion (protestors were seen to climb on top of London tube trains disrupting travel to work for many commuters) 1,768 were detained. XII. XIII.
It is also suggested the tendency for less static protests (occupying smaller sites for shorter periods of time) reduced the amount of public engagement and together with the police tactics of surrounding the demonstrators, their visibility and popularity was diminished further. XIV.

PCSC BILL

XR complained that police tactics were heavy handed and excessive XV. The groups and their props were dispersed and dismantled quickly leaving many to wonder if new tactics will be used in the future after the ratification of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill.

The introduction of the new bill is proposing to allow the police ‘stronger powers’ when dealing with disruptive, non-violent protests. A Home Office spokesperson stated the new proposed bill is:
“In line with human rights legislation and in no way impinge on the right to protest… Public order legislation is out of date, and the use of disruptive and dangerous tactics – including obstructing emergency vehicles or blocking the free press – costs millions to the taxpayer and causes misery to businesses and local communities.” XVI.
Please see our previous for more information on the PCSC bill.

CONCLUSION

The cost to police this sustained event will likely run into the tens of millions and clear up costs are yet to be calculated. It is highly likely events such as this will further fuel the debate regarding the new public order legislation.

The public tolerance for the kind of disruption XR have recently engaged in, is reportedly diminishing. The reduced number of police arrests in comparison to previous XR events suggest it is a realistic possibility the numbers in attendance have also dropped.

Demonstrations such as the St Paul’s Cathedral protest and the M25 occupations are yet to prove to have aided XR’s following.

Advisory Services reporting cut-off date for this insight is Midday 21st September2021. WJ is not able to comment at this time on further developments

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The world woke up to news on Monday 16th of August that Afghanistan’s capital Kabul had fallen. A

The Taliban launched their offensive in May and had captured the first 50 districts of 370 by the end of June. B The momentum with which the Taliban has been capturing territory has accelerated since Mid-July and on Thursday 12th August UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the deployment of 600 troops to the region to assist with the repatriation of 5,000 evacuees back to the UK. C

On Friday 13th he convened a COBRA meeting to discuss the rapid Taliban advancement in the country. D and on Monday 16th he announced the recall of Parliament for Wednesday 18th and also convened a second COBRA meeting to discuss Afghanistan with this one focusing on the fall of Kabul. E

Taliban advancement on Kabul

In April 2021 the Taliban controlled only 20% of the country and escalation predictions were more long-term. On Monday 16th Taliban fighters were reporting they controlled 90% of state buildings in Afghanistan F and as of the 17th August they held the whole of Afghanistan bar seven remaining districts which were seeing a strong Taliban presence and on-going fighting. G H

The stalling of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban following the US-led peace deal in 2020 (Doha agreement) appears to have exasperated tensions suggests the Council on Foreign Affairs (CFA), I as has a demoralised military. J The fall of Kunduz on 8th August, the first major city to fall after negotiations led to surrender, created a ‘domino effect’ with other major cities following suit. K

UK response

On Tuesday 17th of August Dominic Raab, the UK’s foreign secretary reported everyone was shocked at the speed with which the Taliban took control of Afghanistan adding:

“We saw a very swift change in the dynamics. And of course this has been part and parcel of the withdrawal of western troops, but it has also been the way and the approach of the Taliban and of course it’s been a test for the Afghan security forces.
“All of those factors have been very fluid. But no one saw this coming. Of course we would have taken action if we had.” L

The foreign secretary also stated on Tuesday, that the UK government must deal with the ‘reality’ that the Taliban is now in control of Afghanistan.

Agreeing on the ‘reality’ of dealing with the Taliban as a government, UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson on Sunday 15th pressed for an international agreement and joint response, “forming a common view and setting the same conditions” and stated:

“We don’t want anybody to bilaterally recognise the Taliban. We want a united position among all the like-minded, as far as we can get one, so that we do whatever we can to prevent Afghanistan lapsing back into a breeding ground for terror” M

On Friday 13th of August it was reported UK home secretary, Priti Patel, had ceased deportations to Afghanistan and the government is preparing emergency refugee plans to cope with the influx of people wanting refuge in the UK. The UN estimates nearly half the country’s population need urgent assistance and that humanitarian disaster is inevitable. N

US response

US President, Joe Biden’s administration says it is focussing on ‘looking forward’ rather than ‘looking back’ in regards to Afghanistan and in his address to the nation the President stated he stood ‘squarely behind’ his decision adding ‘there was never a good time to withdraw US forces’. O

Commenting on Monday 16th regarding the recent developments in Afghanistan, Retired Commander of US forces in Afghanistan, David Petraeus stated:
“The situation obviously is just disastrous…We should literally reverse the decision…I feared we would come to regret the decision and we already are. There’s no good outcome unless the United States and its allies recognise that we made a serious mistake.” P

Similarities have been drawn to the US’ exit from Vietnam in 1975 Q when the North Vietnamese army defied a ceasefire and peace treaty, occupying South Vietnam cities ‘with little resistance and no American response’. R

The Taliban’s new government

As the world waits and watches, the Taliban will now work to form an “inclusive, Islamic government”. S They encourage women to join the administration and are already engaging in negotiations with politicians and ‘opposition’ leaders. T Reports of Taliban violence across the country are now widespread with the homes of ‘western collaborators’ being searched and looted. U This is despite assurances to the contrary by one of the Taliban’s negotiating team, Suhail Shaheen who spoke on BBC news assuring viewers
“We assure the people in Afghanistan, particularly in the city of Kabul, that their properties, their lives are safe…There will be no revenge on anyone.” V

Advisory Services reporting cut-off date for this insight is Midday 17th August 2021. WJ is not able to comment at this time on further developments.

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“..The police with the powers and tools they need to protect themselves and the public, while overhauling sentencing laws to keep serious sexual and violent offenders behind bars for longer, and placing greater emphasis on rehabilitation to better help offenders to turn their lives around.”1.

Brought before Parliament in March 2021, the proposals have been met with nationwide protests. In some instances the protests against the Bill have turned violent and we have seen clashes with the police, a police station stormed and police vans set on fire (Bristol) and vandalised.2.

The Bill’s proposals: The following are some of the main proposals put forward for the PCSC Bill: 3.

1. Smarter sentencing powers for offences including: assaults on emergency workers; the murder of children; Death by dangerous driving and community sentencing options for youth offenders.
2. Stronger police powers to tackle disruptive non-violent protests and increased powers to tackle unauthorised encampments causing distress to communities.
3. A reform of pre-charge bail options and removal of automatic early release for serious crimes.

Passing of the Bill

The Bill currently awaits its 2nd of three ‘readings’ in the House of Lords before being passed for Royal Assent. The second reading is an opportunity for the House of Lords members to review the key principles and highlight areas of concern or identify areas needing amendment.4. The Bill passed through the House of Commons despite strong opposition and it is probable the House of Lords will also highlight the ongoing contentions surrounding the debate.5. If passed the Bill is predicted to have cost implications to the region of 100-140million/GBP per year for England and Wales combined.6.

The trending debates surrounding the Bill

The Bill has been met with criticism from a number of protest groups, culminating in regular nationwide demonstrations entitled ‘Kill the Bill’ which has seen
protests over the past five months take place up and down the country including, but not limited to in London, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool, Bournemouth,
Brighton, Weymouth and Luton.7.

The Big Issue and traveller campaign group Drive to Survive indicate the new trespassing legislation will put:

“Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups at risk and threatens to push rough sleepers deeper into homelessness”8.

And Ex-Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn has told protestors to:
“Stand up for the right to protest, stand up for the right to have your voice heard”9.

Sisters Uncut, one of the founding ‘Kill the Bill’ protest groups has also expressed their consternation at the proposals stating:
“Passed by the Commons or not, we refuse to accept the bill and its racist attack on our communities especially the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community, whose
very way of life is criminalised by this bill’s widely-slammed trespass provisions…”10.

EQUAL, the Action for Race Equality in the Criminal Justice System has sent a joint response to the Government on behalf of a number of organisations including the Prison Reform Trust where they voiced concern that:
“The government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will further entrench racial inequality in the criminal justice system.”11.

A complete copy of their joint response can be found here. The reply from Alex Chalk MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice can be found here.
Shadow Home Secretary, David Lammy MP has also voiced his concerns and described the legislation as:
“Poorly thought-out measures to impose disproportionate controls on free expression and the right to protest”.12.

Sir Bob Neill, Conservative MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, highlights the co-operation and support the Bill received from criminal justice agencies and other social justice charities. He explained to his constituents his reasons for supporting the Bill in a statement saying:
“The vast majority of the Bill focuses on other issues, from important changes on road traffic offences and the early release of serious offenders, to common sense reforms like increasing sentences for those who attack emergency workers to allowing British Sign Language interpreters in jury deliberation rooms. It is for that reason many organisations working in the criminal justice sphere, including professional associations like the Law Society and Magistrates Association, as well as charities like Nacro, have welcomed it.”13.

The Police Federation who have been campaigning for greater protection for serving police officers expressed their support for the Bill:
“For almost a decade, the Federation has been campaigning to bring about a positive change in the law to better protect police drivers…..This change is much needed and long overdue.”14.

Completion Date

There is no estimated completion date for the Bill and its passing by Royal Assent may be delayed if the members of the House of Lords voice concerns that warrant further discovery.16. The Bill will continue to meet with opposition. Protest plans are already in place for @killthebill_manchester to protest at the Appleby Horse fair from 13-15 August and Drive2Survive are also encouraging their supporters to join them in demonstrations over the summer.

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1. The global response to the Covid-19 pandemic;
2. Climate change;
3. The global approach to pandemics in general;
4. The equal, global distribution of vaccines;
5. The design of a global early warning system;
6. Global policies for future health emergencies and the reduction of trade barriers.

CONCLUDING STATEMENT FROM G7 SUMMIT

Following the conclusion of the summit, the leaders of the Group of Seven released a communique detailing the progress made. Please click here for the communique in full.

HIGHLIGHTS FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF SUMMIT

• Prioritising a unified front against threats by China and Russia
  Addressing the issue at the conclusion of the summit, US President Joe Biden stressed the importance of finding a “democratic alternative”. He stated:
  ‘The leaders’ endorsement of a global minimum tax would help ensure global equity and a proposal to finance infrastructure projects in the developing world would counter the influence of China’.1

The summit raised questions on a number of other Chinese issues including: 2

–  G7 tells Beijing to respect rights in Xinjiang
–  G7 calls for preservation of Hong Kong freedoms
–  G7 urges study in China on COVID origins
–  Expresses concern over situation in East and South China Seas
–  G7 calls for peace in Taiwan Strait

The G7 also insisted Russia to take action against those carrying out cyber-attacks, insisting they ‘Stop destabilizing and malicious activities’3 and criticised Russia over the arrests of Alex Navalny and Roman Protasevich, and their actions in Ukraine and Belarus.

Reaction

In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in London said:

“The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone… We always believe that countries, big or small, strong or weak, poor or rich, are equals, and that world affairs should be handled through consultation by all countries.”4

Immediately after the summit, Joe Biden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin with both agreeing to cooperate on global security (particularly identifying US entities that should be free from ransomware or other cyber-attacks). Both presidents agreed the meeting was ’productive’ and free from hostility.5

•  G7 unable to agree on a timeline to end the use of coal to generate electricity

G7, although were unable to secure a timeline for the cessation of the use of fossil fuels, promised to:
‘Phase out new direct government support for international carbon-intensive fossil fuel energy as soon as possible…To be credible, ambitions need to be supported by tangible actions in all sectors of our economies and societies’.6

Reaction

Climate activists with Extinction Rebellion commented on the summit leaders on their website describing the G7 commitment as a ‘dismal failure to match the urgency of the crisis we find ourselves in’.7

In research carried out by Charity Tearfund together with the Overseas Development Institute and the International Institute for Sustainable Development, in the previous year from January 2020 to March 2021 the current G7 countries committed USD$147 billion to spend on clean energy but spent USD$189 supporting the oil, gas and coal industry.8

• G7 failure to reach COVAX vaccine dose commitment of 1billion.
  The G7 members announced they had secured 870million doses for the COVAX programme, failing short of the promises made prior to the summit to secure one billion doses. (World Health Organisation has highlighted a requirement for 11billion.9)

Reaction

Ex UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown described this as “an unforgiveable moral failure”.10

Max Lawson, Head of Equality for Oxfam stated:

“Never in the history of the G7 has there been a bigger pay gap between their actions and the needs of the world. We don’t need to wait for history to judge this summit a colossal failure”.11

GENERAL REACTION

COVAX and the Confederation of British Industry described the summit as ‘significant’, with CBI stating the summit had:

“Re-ignited a belief that the international community can come together in a spirit of collaboration to tackle the big issues of our age”.12

Lisa Nandy, Shadow Home Secretary commented:

“By every measure, the prime minister’s summit has come up short. No clear plan to vaccinate the world by the end of 2022. No ambitious commitments to place the world on the path to climate safety”.13

Nick Dearden, Director of Campaign Group Global Justice, now described the summit as not fit for purpose and calling it:

“A pointless exercise in grandstanding without making any substantive progress towards tackling the crises of our lifetimes”.14

Patrick Watt, Director of Policy, Public affairs and Campaigns at Christian Aid, was concerned about the implications the summit had on COP26 stating:

“The success of the COP26 climate summit now hangs in the balance. There is still time for rich nations to deliver a solidarity package that tackles these interconnected crises. Without it, the COP will fail.”15

SUMMIT PROTESTS

More than 20 people were arrested over the course of the weekend for offences including:

Conspiracy to commit public nuisance
Suspicion of obstructing a public highway
Being in possession of an article with intent to commit criminal damage
Being in possession of a hoax device 16

Thousands protested on the streets of Cornwall and London from groups including:

Surfers against Sewage
Free Tigray
Free Kashmir
Oxfam
Extinction Rebellion
Red Rebel Brigade
BLM
Pro Palestine
Animal Rebellion
Kill the Bill 17

The post Conclusions and reactions from G7 Summit appeared first on Wilson James.

Prior to the commencement of the conference proper, two events will take place:

1. The Youth Summit – ‘YOUTH4CLIMATE: Driving Ambition’ 2

• Held in Milan on 28-30 September 2021
• Its aim is to ‘offer young people from all over the world the opportunity to develop concrete
  proposals for Pre-COP26 in Milan and COP26 in Glasgow’.

2. Pre-COP26 3

• Held in Milan on 30 September-2 October 2021
• Its aim is to ‘provide a selected group of countries with an informal setting to discuss and
  exchange views on some key political aspects of the negotiations and offer political
  guidance for subsequent negotiations’.

This year’s COP goals are: 4

1. Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
2. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
3. Mobilise finance
4. Work together to deliver

Previous Summits

COP25 was held in Madrid, Spain in 2019 (after Brazil and Chile stepped down from hosting duties). Its aim was to finalise guidelines (‘Katowice rulebook’) governing the Paris Agreement of 2015. This was to establish rules on how governments implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). 5

Previous Protests

The change of country and continent shortly prior to COP25 meant that a number of activists, who set sail across the Atlantic Ocean in the hope of travelling as carbon neutrally as possible to South America in advance of the conference, were late to the event having to sail back to Europe. Youth activist Greta Thunberg (Greta is now 18 years old) was amongst those caught up in the scramble back across the Atlantic but made the conference on time. Greta Thunberg delivered her speech ‘How dare you’ which received large press coverage. Those that could not make it back staged their own COP named ‘Forest COP’ in the Amazonian rainforest. 6

The conference drew protests Europe-wide with marches reported in Spain, Brussels, Paris and the UK (where access was blocked to Heathrow airport). 7

Youth climate activists were particularly prevalent in the COP25 protests. ‘Fridays for Future’ the global movement motivated after Greta Thunberg’s school strikes called for action in protest at the lack of movement by COP25 stating the summit ‘has failed us’. Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland, Mary Robinson stated,

“This is about people and people’s livelihoods. Gender and social justice have an enormous impact on what people face from climate [breakdown]. If we don’t have these issues included we are going to make enormous mistakes.” 8

‘Fridays for Future’ recorded 115,910 individuals conducting strikes in March 21, under their banner, in the March of 2019 this was significantly higher with 2,280,959. In November 19 this halved to 1,192,120. It is evitable youth climate activists will have a significantly high volume of individuals conducting demonstrations in the upcoming months. They will have a strong intent to influence the debates in the lead up to the COP26.

COP26 Potential Protests

XR Scotland are already making plans for protests in November stating:

Saturday 6th November, Glasgow and across the UK. The COP26 Coalition and their international allies are planning a decentralised day of action for Saturday 6th November, the middle weekend of COP26. As there are likely to be significant travel restrictions, we will show our movement’s strength and the need for urgent action for climate justice by coming together in our city, town or village across the world for a coordinated day of action.

https://xrscotland.org/cop-26/

Friends of the Earth are also planning action in advance.

Friends of the Earth have been working within the COP26 Coalition – an umbrella coalition made up of environmental and climate organisations, trade unions, racial and migrant justice networks, faith and youth groups – to help build momentum around COP26 and grow the climate justice movement. The Coalition is planning a series of moments building towards COP26 over the coming months, and during Climate Week in September.

A day of action for climate justice will take place on Saturday 6th November with protests in Glasgow, across the UK and around the world. From Sunday 7th to Wednesday 10th, there will also be a Peoples’ Summit with events and workshops organised by civil society groups. 9

News stories about police response and protestor behaviour at COP26:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/extinction-rebellion-protesters-warned-to-behave-at-cop26-w87d97ddk
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/police-scotland-cop26-tactics-will-be-the-same-as-atrecent-protests-40472901.html
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19188207.anarchists-intent-violence-descend-glasgowcop26/
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/police-scotland-rangers-cop26-glasgow-scotlandb937410.html

Other useful websites:

https://www.iied.org/uk-aid-cuts-threaten-climate-leadership-role-cop26-president
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/cop26

This year’s location

Map of COP26 location (SEC Centre)

Map of Scotland

The post COP26 appeared first on Wilson James.

1. The global response to the Covid-19 pandemic;
2. Climate change;
3. The global approach to pandemics in general;
4. The equal, global distribution of vaccines;
5. The design of a global early warning system;
6. Global policies for future health emergencies and the reduction of trade barriers.

Leaders from India, South Korea, South Africa and Australia have also been invited to attend by UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who has extended the invitations in hope of expanding the seven members to ten, creating the D10 (the World’s leading ten democracies).1.

(Wikipedia 2021)

Previous Summits

This year’s summit is the first for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the 2020 summit to cancel.

The 45th summit held in Biarritz, France in 2019 covered topics including:

• Modernisation of international taxation;
• The joint desire to ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons;
• Russian military intervention in the Ukraine;
• The 2019-20 Hong Kong protests.

Previous Protests

In 2019 Biarritz and surrounding areas saw thousands of protestors from movements such as, Yellow Vest (Gilets Jaunes), Basque separatists (ETA) and environmental activists descend on its streets. 3. On the Saturday of the 2019 weekend, police had resorted to using water cannons and tear gas to disperse some of the crowds gathering on the outskirts of Biarritz and made sixty-eight arrests. Elsewhere in South West France non-violent group ANV-Cop21 removed portraits of French President Emmanuel Macron from town halls and marched with them upside down in protest of his conflicting domestic and international climate policies.4.

The last UK based meeting, the G8 (G8 and not G7 as Russia was in attendance) held in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland in 2013, saw a number of peaceful protests against, fracking, tax evasion and world hunger. 5. Russia attended as a member between 1998 and 2013, bringing the total number of member states to eight. Russia’s participation was suspended in 2014, predominately due to their annexation of Crimea. This year they remain uninvited. 6.

This years’ location

This years’ location presents issues on two fronts with protests possible from both land and sea (Extinction Rebellion have previously held anti-pollution protests in Falmouth harbour). 7. Having drafted in five thousand extra police officers from across the country, for this year’s summit, Devon and Cornwall police are preparing for both peaceful and disruptive protests with four sites nominated as designated protest zones:

1. Plymouth Hoe, Plymouth, Devon;
2. Flowerpot playing field, Exeter, Devon;
3. Church Street carpark, Falmouth, Cornwall;
4. Lemon Quay, Truro, Devon.

Devon and Cornwall police will utilise these zones, together with exclusion zones around the events by air, land and sea; two-step identification to access restricted areas and continuous mobile security patrols to help mitigate security concerns around the G7. 8.

More information is available regarding the local security measures here.

Map of St Ives, Caris Bay and restricted areas

For further information on Extinction Rebellion’s ‘Cornwall Rebellion’ weekend of action, please click here.

Devon and Cornwall protest schedule:

7-10 June – ‘Make the Wave’ march, nationwide

11th June – G7 Summit protest, St Ives

11th June – G7 Climate Strike, Gyllyngvase beach, Falmouth

12th June – ‘G is for Greenwash’ protest, Kimberley Park to Event Square, Falmouth

13th June – G7 Summit protest, St Ives

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The UK GOV website current advice is to avoid countries on the UK’s red or amber list where possible. In addition to the advice from UK GOV, it is necessary to understand the rules of the country you intend to visit. Some green list countries still ban travel from international travellers.

Questions to consider when travelling

1. Does the UK GOV recommend me to avoid the country?
   2. What test evidence do I need to present when I leave?
   3. Will I be able to get travel insurance?
   4. Will my travel insurance become invalid if the country I visit changes to being on the red list during my visit?
   5. Will the country I intend to visit let me in; do they have restrictions?
   6. What will I need to do on my return?

Advice is as of 2 June 2021, consideration should be given to the following guidelines prior to planning a foreign trip with particular attention paid to the arrival rules for your destination country and its categorisation of arrivals from the UK.

GREEN LIST (current green list countries can be found here*)

Visiting green list countries from the UK

1. Some green list countries have banned international travellers. For updates, please click here.
   Australia, New Zealand, Falkland Islands, Singapore, Brunei and Faroe Islands have all closed their borders.
2. Other countries do not require quarantining if you have proof of a negative test result, these include:
   a. Gibraltar: no quarantine required.
   b. Israel: no quarantine required.
   c. Portugal, the Azores and Madeira: no quarantine required if you have proof of a negative test result or have been vaccinated.

*News sources are anticipating an updated green list imminently, effective from Monday 7th June the announcement is expected this afternoon 3rd May. The most recently updated list should be consulted and will be available on GOV.UK and news websites.

Returning from a green list country to the UK

1. You must take a COVID-19 test within three days prior to returning to the UK.
   a. Information regarding test providers in destination countries can be found here.
   b. Provide supporting documentation via email, text or printed document.
   i. No supporting documentation may prevent you from boarding the plane.
   ii. Fines of £500 are issued to those arriving in England without supporting documentation.
2. Book and pay for 1 COVID-19 test prior to your arrival in England
   a. COVID-19 test must be taken within two days of arriving in the UK.
   b. You only need to quarantine if the test is positive, or you have been informed to do so by the NHS Track & Trace app.
3. Complete a passenger location form per the guidelines above.

RED LIST (current red list countries can be found here)

Visiting red list countries from the UK

Most countries on the UK’s red list, such as India or Peru, have suspended unnecessary travel and/or require quarantine or rigorous health checks on arrival. Some do not permit entry for travellers from the UK and the destination’s entry restrictions and lockdown requirements should be thoroughly checked prior to booking a flight.

Returning from a red list country to the UK

Currently Only British or Irish nationals are allowed to return from red list countries

1. You must take a COVID-19 test within three days prior to returning to the UK.
   a. Information regarding test providers in destination countries can be found here.
   b. Provide supporting documentation via email, text or printed document.
   i. Having no supporting documentation may prevent you from boarding the plane.
   ii. Fines of £500 are issued to those arriving in England without supporting documentation.
2. Book a hotel quarantine package (this must include two COVID-19 tests) prior to your arrival in England.
   a. Any traveller arriving from a red list country must quarantine for 10 days.
   i. The day of your arrival counts as ‘day zero’.
   b. COVID-19 tests must be taken within two days of arriving and on or after day eight of quarantine.
   c. Breaking quarantine rules or providing false information can see fines imposed of up to £10,000 or a prison sentence of up to ten years.
3. Complete a passenger locator form using the following information:
   a. your passport details or the travel document you’ll use when you arrive at the UK border
   b. your travel details, including times and dates
   c. the address where you will stay in the UK (if applicable)
   d. booking reference numbers for any COVID-19 tests you must take after arriving in the UK
   e. the invoice number for your quarantine hotel booking if you need one
   f. If you’re arriving in England and using Test to Release (early exit from quarantine), you’ll also need the name of the test provider you booked with.

AMBER LIST (current amber list countries can be found here)

Visiting amber list countries from the UK

1. Most countries (including the US and Greece) on the UK’s amber list do not require you to quarantine but do insist on proof of a negative PCR test seventy-two hours prior to travel and/or vaccination or proof of recovery from COVID-19.
2. Spain does not require proof of a negative COVID-19 test from UK arrivals however hotels etc. will require this prior to checking in and any travel to Spanish islands will also require a proof of a negative test result prior to departing the mainland.
3. France is currently only allowing arrivals from the UK for EU citizens and French nationals, and proof of residency must be provided.

Returning from an amber list country to the UK

1. You must take a COVID-19 test within three days prior to returning to the UK
   a. Information regarding test providers in destination countries can be found here.
   b. Provide supporting documentation via email, text or printed document.
   i. No supporting documentation may prevent you from boarding the plane.
   ii. Fines of £500 are issued to those arriving in England without supporting documentation.
2. Quarantine at home or in the place where you are staying for ten days.
   a. Breaking quarantine rules or providing false information can see fines imposed of up to £10,000 or a prison sentence of up to ten years.
3. Book and pay for two COVID-19 tests prior to your arrival in England.
   a. COVID-19 tests must be taken within two days of arriving and on or after day eight of quarantine
4. Complete a passenger location form per the guidelines above.

The post Country traffic light system explained appeared first on Wilson James.

James Chen writing for Investopedia, describes shareholder activism as

“a way that shareholders can influence a corporation’s behaviour by exercising their rights as partial owners… they typically buy up a minority stake in a company and, subsequently, employ a variety of tactics, from media pressure to litigation threats, to force a conversation and bring about change… from environmental concerns to governance to profit distribution to the internal culture and business model of a company.”2

Looking at those AGMs particularly targeted by the likes of activist group ShareAction: BP, Shell and Barclays have received social media posts encouraging applications for proxy votes, threatening lawsuits and explaining how activists can fully engage with the AGM process. 3

Shell’s AGM voting results show that whilst concern was expressed for their climate resolution strategy their shareholders, followed the direction of its board and voted in favour of its proposal with 89% of the vote. This was in part, suggests August Graham writing for The Evening Standard, because Shell had the support of
‘Climate Action 100+’

“an influential coalition of investors which includes the Church of England Pensions Board among others.”

The ‘Church of England Pensions Board’ stated

“As a Pensions Board we have today supported the Energy Transition Strategy, not because we believe it is perfect, but it is the first phase of Shell’s transition over this crucial decade.”4

BP also a faced a shareholder resolution from climate activist group ‘Follow This’ who received 20.6% of the shareholder vote representing one fifth of BP shareholders – an increase in support of 12.2% from 2019 when the last resolution was tabled – 79.4% of BP shareholders voted in favour of BP’s proposal. BP has said it

“will continue to engage with shareholders on our strategy, targets and aims so as to ensure their views are fully understood.”5

HSBC went further to avoid activist intervention at their AGM this year by amending and making improvements to its climate policy in advance. A move applauded by Jeanne Martin, Senior Campaign Manager at ShareAction, who said,

“Today’s announcement shows that robust shareholder engagement can deliver concrete results and sets an important precedent for the banking industry. Net zero ambitions have to be backed up with time-bound fossil fuel phase-outs and today HSBC has taken an important step in that direction.” 6

Barclays has been heavily criticised of late because of its lack of policy changes in line with the Paris Agreement,

“The bank has provided more finance for coal mining and coal power than any other UK bank since 2015, and its funding for ‘extreme’ fossil fuel… increased by 32 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019” 7

and this is reflected in their AGM voting results, 14% voted against the bank’s recommendation on climate change giving Barclays a 76% approval vote.

This reporting highlights there to be a correlation between shareholder engagement and support for a company’s climate policy. The more involved a company is with their climate strategy (such as Shell and Climate 100+) the more potential the result from the shareholders will be positive. Those who see an on-going climate dialogue are more likely to be encouraged by it. A less engaged company can result in lower approval levels despite the board’s recommendations being passed and poor performance and low engagement with shareholder activists can influence changes to structure of a board if this is coupled with poor performance.

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The use of ransomware has increased exponentially in the last year with cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks reporting the average payment made by companies to retrieve their data has risen 171% over the past year to USD312,493. The ‘benefits’ of a ransomware attack are two-fold and referred to as ‘double extortion’; the stolen data can be uploaded to sites hosted on the darkweb and managed by other ransomware operators, as well as being sold back to the hacked company. 2 Ransom demands are now so commonplace that there is a standard practice for negotiations, says Jason Kotler, CEO of cyber-negotiation company, Cypfer: “For billion dollar companies, they expect multimillion dollar payments… It’s roughly a percentage of their published net revenues – half a percent for billion dollar companies.”3

In July 2020, US travel services company CWT Global paid USD4.5 million to have their ransomware ‘Ragnar Locker’ removed, and they are not the only company having to capitulate to these demands. The US city of Lafayette, Colorado, reportedly paid USD45,000 in ransom to regain control of their systems 4 and technology company GARMIN fell foul of ransomware ‘Wasted Locker’ with demands of USD10 million made to retrieve their data. GARMIN has refused to comment on whether demands were met but gained full access to their data after a four-day shutdown, with industry experts suggesting the level of sophistication used means the company would have no way to recover their stolen files without paying the ransom. Cyber-security experts Heimdal Security advises that paying the ransom goes against US government recommendations and may even be illegal in certain situations. 5

London based cyber-security firm Digital Shadows suggests remote working during the pandemic is partly to blame for the Colonial Pipeline attack as engineers log in remotely and login details to access remote working can be bought from disgruntled employees. 6 The repercussions of this latest attack against the oil industry have yet to be realised as the US government puts contingency plans in motion to continue the delivery of the much-needed fuel. Colonial Pipeline is yet to confirm if any data was stolen or if the delay in re-establishing full operational capabilities is a precaution to ensure they are on top of the malware before re-booting.

For guidance from the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on mitigating malware and ransomware attacks please click here.

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