Cyclists joined climate activists in coordinated bicycle actions across nine countries in Asia on November 6, calling for reparations for climate debt.
The fourth and last leg for this year's Pedal for People and Planet was held in The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal.
Pedal for People and Planet held the first coordinated event this year in April, calling on people to join the climate justice movement. It was followed by a second 鈥淔ossil-fuel free before 2050鈥 bike action in June. The third action took place on October 2, to demand a 鈥渞apid and just transition to 100% renewable energy鈥 and November鈥檚 action highlighted the need for climate reparations and climate financing.
The Philippines鈥 actions were organised by the Asian People鈥檚 Movement on Debt and Development (AMDD), and supported by a range of groups including Oxfam, 350.org, Greenpeace, Philippines Movement for Climate Justice, Sanlakas, Caritas Philippines and Oriang Women's Movement. Cyclists took to the streets in 15 cities to demand reparations for climate debt and fossil fuel projects across the country.
Addressing the Manila action on November 6, Ate Oyette from the Oriang Women's Movement told participants that climate change is not the fault of poor countries like the Philippines, but is the work of rich nations that spew pollution into the skies. She said these nations should be charged with damages for the disasters and damage they cause.
Actions in Lahore, Pakistan, were organised by the Farmers Coordination Committee in conjunction with AMDD. Still reeling from the effects of catastrophic floods, the October 2 action raised awareness about environmental justice and demanded that plans for coal, gas and oil generated electricity in should be stopped. The rally called for state aid to ordinary people to install solar panels on rooftops.
In Nepal, hundreds of cyclists across seven cities planned actions on November 6.
In Bangladesh, more than 100 cyclists planned to take to the streets of the capital, Dhaka.
In Thailand, cyclists were touring nine farming communities in the lower northern region of the country.
In Vietnam, hundreds of cyclists in the central highlands were holding actions.
In India, thousands of cyclists and climate activists from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ranchi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other centres were taking action.
In Indonesia, hundreds of cyclists and climate activists were taking action across three cities, and in Malaysia, hundreds of cyclists in Kuala Lumpur and Penang were taking to the streets on November 6 for climate justice.