\'We\'ve got the message\': Government appeals to protestors as Extinction Rebellion continues

'We've got the message': Government appeals to protestors as Extinction Rebellion continues

Extinction Rebellion seized Vauxhall Bridge this morning as the London protests entered their fourth day

Protestors target Vauxhall Bridge, as Michael Gove insists the government understands action to slash emissions 'needs to be taken'

The government has expressed sympathy for the motivations behind the Extinction Rebellion (XR), with Environment Secretary Michael Gove insisting Ministers have "got the message" and are keen to pursue more ambitious climate action.

The comments came as the government also stepped up calls for protestors to rethink their disruptive tactics as the group's campaign of civil disobedience entered its fourth day and the tally of arrests topped 400.

Speaking on BBC One's The One Show where he was appearing to discuss the government's on-going plans to tackle plastic waste, Gove stressed the government respected the campaigners calls for bolder climate action and their right to peaceful protests. He also defended the government's decarbonisation record, while acknowledging more action was needed to tackle escalating climate threats.

The UK has delivered the deepest emissions reductions of any major economy over the past two decades, primarily through the phasing out of coal power, energy efficiency measures, and investment in renewables.

However, official government projections last week confirmed the UK is still on track to miss its legally binding carbon targets for the late-2020s onwards - targets that are based on a goal to cut emissions 80 per cent by 2050, rather than the proposed goal to build a net zero emission economy by 2050 at the latest, which is currently being considered by the UK's official climate change advisors.

XR has accused the government of pursuing policies that are grossly inadequate compared to the scale of the climate threat and is calling for Ministers to formally declare a 'climate emergency', set a target to deliver a net zero emission economy by 2025, and introduce people's assemblies to debate the decarbonisation strategy required to meet the target. It has also called on Ministers to meet to discuss its manifesto and has this week staged a series of major protests across the country, closing roads and rail lines across London and targeting Shell's headquarters, to highlight its demands.

Gove said he was worried about the level of disruption caused by the protests, even if he understood the motivations behind them. "I do worry sometimes about some of the scenes we've seen and some of the activity that goes on," he said. "So I think it's appropriate for people to make their feelings known but I also think, we've got the message, we understand that action needs to be taken.

"And in fact some of the activity that's been going on on the streets has actually stopped people doing their jobs and also impeded, for example, people getting around London in a way that's appropriate."

XR yesterday sparked criticism from some quarters for extending its protests to target the rail network and the home of Jeremy Corbyn, who as Labour leader has backed a net zero emission target and the declaring of a climate emergency.

Treasury Minister Liz Truss labelled the group "clowns" for disrupting one of the most efficient forms of transport.

However, the group again defended its tactics insisting "economic disruption" was necessary to force the government to the table and raise the profile of the climate threat everyone faces.

David Lambert who walked from Gloucester to London to glue himself to Corbyn's fence, told The Guardian: "We are here because we are supporters of Jeremy Corbyn and he is the best hope this country has got to get us out of this. But we need system change and a transformation of our consumer economy and we know he is a person who has the authority and power to deliver that."

The Labour leader ignored the protestors - moving some of them to tears - as he continued his policy of refusing to speak to reporters or campaigners outside his home.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed over 400 protests had been made in relation to the protests, sparking rumours the force was running out of cells and some protestors were being sent to police stations in the Home Counties. Further arrests are expected today as the protestors stage a fresh roadblock on Vauxhall Bridge.

Meanwhile, the government has continued to defend its environmental record, with the Conservative Twitter account posting a video highlighting how the UK is "one of the leading countries in tackling climate change".