Cambridge mock funeral for 1.5°C climate change hopes draws multiple protest groups

A mock funeral was held for the Paris Agreement 1.5°C climate target in Cambridge this weekend.

In Paris in 2015, in order to prevent hitting crucial Earth-system tipping points, politicians from around the world agreed to limit global average temperature rises to ‘well below’ 2°C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, aiming for 1.5°C if possible.

However, global average temperatures accelerated through the 1.5°C target in 2024. The breach needs to be sustained for a decade or more for politicians to formally agree that 1.5°C has been exceeded, but 2024 was the first year of average global temperatures of 1.6 °C above the 1850 to 1900 baseline. António Guterres, secretary general of the UN, has said the planet is undergoing “a masterclass in climate destruction”.

Activists from Extinction Rebellion Cambridge, Extinction Rebellion UK, Cambridge Greenpeace, Cambridge Stop the War and ORCA (Organisation of Radical Cambridge Activists) gathered on Christ’s Pieces before heading into the centre of town.

The march, which was accompanied by 50 Red Rebels and a samba band, went along Sidney Street, past Sidney Sussex, St John’s and Trinity colleges, and on to Lion’s Yard shopping centre.

When they returned to Christ’s Pieces speakers and singers were on hand to mourn the loss of the opportunity to halt the global warming process. The speakers were representative of the full spectrum of criticism at the seeming inability of governments and societies to address climate change challenges head-on.

A Greenpeace speaker kicked off the speaking agenda in front of a crowd of around 200 by saying that citizens should still hold out hope that the crisis can be averted. He was followed by Cambridge Climate Choir supported by Cambridge-based Lefty Men SIng.

A spokesperson from Orca (Organisation of Radical Cambridge Activists) then spoke of the injustice of climate breakdown as it starts to affect those who have done least to deserve it. They denounced the “eco-colonialism” taking place in parts of Africa and Israel, where “solar farms and tree planting” are replacing existing habitats.

Addressing the response to the 1.5 degree target the ORCA speaker, Possum, added: “Many of us here feel we have failed and that’s why we’re here today. Transition technologies have to come from somewhere and, as global politics gets so horrible, we must keep our values at the heart of everything we do.”

There have been various climate activist groups since Extinction Rebellion started in 2018, including Just Stop Oil, which disbanded in April. The various movements now appear to be expanding their concerns, with several speakers on Christ’s Pieces addressing the events taking place in Gaza, where 2 million people have been denied food, water and medical care since Israel imposed a total blockade in March. Another compared the Cambridge event to the recent protest at RAF Lakenheath, where US nuclear weapons are believed to be stored. Another spoke of the treatment of refugees in the UK. Another spoke of the crisis of capitalism - “will the powerful lead us to extinction or will the people of Earth rise up?”, they mused.

Tim Lancaster, the now-former husband of Louise Lancaster, spoke of the state of democracy in the UK in 2025 following Louise’s recent release on licence after receiving a four-year jail sentence for conspiring to organise a protest on the M25 in 2022.

“The reason I’m standing here today is because my wife was jailed in July 2024 and she is now out on licence,” he said. [The terms of the release prohibit Louise Lancaster from engaging in any protest.] In the UK you are three times more likely to be arrested than anywhere else in the world - and it takes ages, even years, to go through the courts.

“We tell ourselves we are the home of democracy but we are one of the few countries that imprisons people for peaceful protest. Is it a surprise that 1.5 degrees is dead when we can’t protest because of the law? Our legal system is being used to silence protest. We need to protest what the government is doing in our name.”

Lefty Men Sing then took centre stage, followed by pro-Palestine activist Zasreen Taj, who read a poem, and Caroline from Cambridge Community Kitchen. One speaker said that UK prime minister Keir Starmer “would rather cut money from the most vulnerable in our society to pursue war”. Proceedings were wrapped up by Jason Scott-Warren, University of Cambridge academic and a long-time climate activist.

“Thank you all for coming out,” he said, “this has been months in the planning. Thanks to the Red Rebels and to all of our speakers, poets and singers, and everyone who is supporting us in this great movement we are building.”

Afterwards I asked Jason about this “great movement”, and whether it is possible to hold all these apparently disparate concerns - climate, Palestine, the military build-up, the justice system, refugees, capitalism and the right to protest - together as a single cohesive unit.

“There are different elements,” replied Prof Scott-Warren. “Isn’t that good? I do think we have to teach people to join the dots. The fact is that the global order is collapsing and climate change is happening at the same time. Due process is being removed and youth demand for change is kicking off. We have to work with the mechanisms we’ve got to challenge governments to do more.

“Events like today give people the chance to work out what kind of alternatives they want to take - no one knows in advance which action will work. All kinds of things will make a difference. We need everything and the kitchen sink to address these issues. It’s a strange mindset to think that only one will work.”

The UK government continues to maintain its commitment to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement's goals. The government also plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

In January a programme of reducing emissions by 81 per cent by 2035 compared to 1990 levels was announced.

“We will cut emissions across the country, delivering for our environment and ending our exposure to spiking fossil fuel markets.”