“They are preparing to sign a declaration which in and of itself does not go far enough. We reject their lack of ambition for the sphere,” said one of them.
The conference, organised by the Minister for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development, Marie Christine Marghem, and the Belgian Minister for the North Sea, Philippe De Backer, is bringing together countries directly affected by the health of our oceans. These include the Marshall Islands amongst others. Senior officials of international organisations have also been invited. Moreover, Prince Albert of Monaco is attending the event.
During his opening speech, the Prime Minister Charles Michel was briefly, and abruptly, interrupted by a militant who had infiltrated his way into the crowd of those attending. Standing on a chair, he shouted “Climate emergency” to some 500 participants, before being forcibly ejected from the building.
The representatives from the various states invited must sign the so-called “Brussels Declaration”, an inventory of political initiatives around climate change and the preservation of the oceans. The declaration particularly stresses the significance of scientific research, calling for a reduction in shipping emissions, whilst also reaffirming the international commitments already undertaken within the field.
In the activists’ view, the text of the declaration is not “sufficiently ambitious”.
Oscar Schneider
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