Banner raised on Lord Hill's column by climate protesters
Climate protesters have raised a 20m banner on a famous Shrewsbury landmark in their criticism of Shropshire Council's "pursuit of carbon-heavy policies".
The banner has been raised on Lord Hill's column early this morning to greet commuters on their return to work after the Bank Holiday weekend.
Bearing the words 'Climate Crisis Act Now', the banner is bright green in colour and stands just in front of the council's headquarters in Shirehall.
Sal Mager, a spokesperson for the group, said they wanted more action from Shropshire Council on the issue – the authority declared a climate emergency three years ago.
Mr Mager claims that: "The council declared a climate emergency back in 2019, but they continue to pursue carbon-heavy policies like the North West Relief Road, the demolition of Shirehall, and continued investment in fossil fuels through their pension fund."
A recent IPCC report from the United Nations states that it is now a 'now or never' race to a low-carbon economy and emissions must peak by 2025 to limit warning and be almost halved by 2030.
Mr Mager said: "The latest IPCC reports clearly set out where we are heading if we don’t act now to turn the tide – and it is not a future anyone would wish on their children.
"We are already seeing the effects of global warming, with increased flooding, fires, fuel and food insecurity, and it is only going to get worse.
"There is actually still time to turn things around, but we have a very small window of opportunity and need to act immediately. What we do in the next year or two is critical.
"It is essential that we do our bit in Shropshire and the council needs to lead the way locally if we are to have any hope of a liveable future."
Shropshire Council has been contacted for a comment.
