“We should not be fooled by the fact that earnings have retreated from previous record figures – with profits still running into the billions. These colossal profits are a gross injustice – a symptom of an economy that is putting short-term profits above people and planet. As we are seeing this summer with heatwaves, droughts and floods that are destroying lives on an unprecedented scale, these profits come with a huge climate cost.
“The UK government should be taxing these rich polluters more and helping to incentivise a fair switch to clean, renewable energy. Funds are urgently needed to support people in low-income countries, who have done the least to cause the climate crisis but have been hit the hardest, to rebuild their lives. Surely it is a no brainer that the biggest and richest polluters should be the ones who pay.”
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