Environmental campaigners are calling for urgent action to cut pollution in the Arctic from the global shipping industry.
As delegates, representing governments from around the world and the shipping industry, arrived for an International Maritime Organization meeting in London, they came face to face with activists urging them to act now to protect the fragile arctic marine environment.
The activists created a dynamic "Arctic crime scene" outside the iconic IMO building. Others held banners that read: 鈥淒irty ship fuels are climate crimes鈥 and 鈥淚MO: Protect the Arctic, Ban dirty fuels鈥.
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Performers created an Arctic climate crime scene with white chalk outlines of Arctic animals, attended by black-clad funeral mourners.
A smoking cargo ship art installation was trailed by thick black 鈥渙il鈥. A stranded polar bear, its habitat threatened by climate change, perched upon a melting iceberg sculpture, while聽a 10 metre-long banner deployed along the wall of the Thames read 鈥淒irty ship fuels destroy the Arctic鈥.
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Matt Mellen, an activist with online magazine Ecohustler said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy that these dirty, dangerous fuels are allowed anywhere. But to use them somewhere as fragile and precious as the Arctic beggars belief.
鈥淭he Arctic is changing faster than anywhere due to climate change 鈥 and what happens in the Arctic doesn鈥檛 stay in the Arctic. If world governments are serious about protecting this fragile environment, it can bring about a ban during this week鈥檚 meeting.鈥
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Roc Sandford, from Extinction Rebellion UK, said: 鈥淐limate Change is already causing fires and floods around the world. This is an emergency, there are no good excuses for not acting now.
鈥淲e鈥檙e protesting here to make sure the delegates at this summit see what is at stake. We urge them to act to cut emissions and protect the environment.鈥
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