Protests in Rome call for G20 action on climate change

Protestors blocked roads in central Rome on Sunday to call for more action to be taken by the Group of 20 leaders in tackling climate change.

The activists from environmentalist group Extinction Rebellion wanted to see real action from the leaders who are gathered for a summit in the city.

The summit is the first in-person gathering since the coronavirus pandemic, with climate change, COVID-19 economic recovery, vaccines for low income countries and the global minimum corporate tax rate all being part of the agenda.

The protestors blocked the road leading to the Italian presidential palace and chained themselves to the gates of the Trajanus causing traffic issues.

Italy hopes the G-20 can secure key commitments from countries representing 80% of the global economy — and responsible for around the same amount of global carbon emissions — ahead of the U.N. climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow, UK which runs through early November.