Hundreds of Protesters March in Cardiff to Demand Climate Change
Environmental protestors marched through Cardiff on 12th November 2022 to demand for climate justice. This demonstration was organised by the Climate Justice Coalition and was one of the demonstrations that took place globally. According to Clare James, the main march organiser, the protest happened due to a lack of action on climate change.
Moreover, the general secretary of TUC Cymru, Shavanah Taj, was one of the speakers. She stated that there is a need for a worker-led justice transition to rewire the system in a way that addresses injustices, poverty, and inequalities. This comes after reports that Cardiff faces the highest risk of floods in Britain.
Why Cardiff is at Risk of Flooding
The fact that Cardiff is a coastal city puts it at a higher risk of flooding. Besides, a huge climatic change in the UK accelerates the risk of flooding in Cardiff and other coastlines around the country. Usually, global warming leads to the melting of ice caps, which results in a rise in sea levels. This puts 1.09 properties in Cardiff at risk of inland or rainfall-driven flooding.
Government’s solution
Wales plans to spend over €214 million in the next three years to manage the flooding. The project will be approved by Cardiff Council and aims to protect South East Cardiff for the next 100 years.
The flood defence system will comprise a rock barrier along the coast to manage erosion and high tides. It will also have a rock protection for Lamby Way Bridge, a sheet piling along the same area, and maintained earth embankments.
When done, it is expected to mitigate flood risk to 1,188 properties. It will also be designed to protect these properties against a one-in-200-year catastrophic event.
Companies Taking Part in Tackling Climate Change Issues
It’s hard to deny that climate change is real and poses a threat to human life. As a result, more companies are joining hands to combat climate change globally. Here are some of the firms that are working hard to find a solution against this menace.
Cardiff Bus’ Road to Greener Future
At the end of 2021, Cardiff Bus announced it would launch 36 fully-electric buses in January 2022. The project led to the installation of new charging infrastructure at the bus operator’s Sloper Road depot.
The Yutong E12 zero-emission buses use charging infrastructure from Zenobe, an EV fleet and battery storage specialist that provides intelligent power and battery for commercial EV fleets.
Lottoland
Gambling sites have not been left behind in the war against climate change. Lottoland is one of the leading gambling sites that offer Irish Lottery Official Draws in the UK cities, including Cardiff, and is among the first gambling operators to sign a climate pledge.
Lottoland worked closely with a global climate reduction consultancy called Tunley Engineering to do a carbon assessment to understand the carbon footprint. This will help the company to comprehend the carbon cost attached to energy use and know how to make significant reductions to the global carbon footprint.
The company noted that the gambling operator is thrilled to achieve carbon-neutral status by signing a Climate Pledge. Lottoland was among more than 200 organisations to sign this commitment to reach the Paris Agreement of net-zero carbon by 2040.
GSK
Also known as GlaxoSmithKline Plc, GSK is a biopharma company that researches and makes innovative vaccines and specialty medicine for disease prevention and treatment. The company’s target in climate change is to have a net zero impact on climate. According to GSK, the firm hopes to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2025, net zero emissions across all operations by 2030, and net zero emissions across its full value chain by 2030.
Finally, GSK has set up a pilot project in the US to introduce electric and hybrid plug-in vehicles with home chargers. Similarly, GSK is a member of EV100 and plans to install charging infrastructure at 100 sites by 2030.
Final Word
Climate change is a current problem, and the severity of its effects mainly depends on human activities. The more greenhouse gas we emit, the more the climate will change. However, with more profit and nonprofit organisations joining the war to reduce the effects of climate change, we can only hope for the best.
