Insulate Britain’s “campaign of civil resistance” by blocking roads has “failed” to achieve its environmental goals, the group has admitted in a statement released on Monday. They conceded that their protests had failed to make the government take action to insulate homes.
Throughout 2021, Insulate Britain repeatedly staged demonstrations on some of the UK’s busiest roads and intersections, including on the M25 and in Central London, sparking fury from drivers who had their journeys disrupted.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart that today we have to announce that as Insulate Britain we have failed,” the group stated, adding that its actions hadn’t moved the government “to take meaningful action.”
As the UK faces an “energy price crisis,” Insulate Britain argued that the refusal of the country’s “irresponsible government” to address its concerns risks thousands “dying in our cold homes.”
Despite Insulate Britain’s admission that their disruptive, road-blocking actions didn’t work, the activists have pledged to continue their protest movement, claiming the government only has “the next two to three years” to act before we reach “climate tipping points we cannot control.”
The UK government has maintained a firm approach to the group’s protests, securing injunctions against their demonstrations on Britain’s road that led to several activists being jailed in a court ruling last week.
Five protesters were imprisoned after violating an injunction by continuing to block the M25, while 11 activists were handed suspended prison sentences for their role in the protests on the motorway.
Insulate Britain is seeking to pressure the UK government into promising “to fully fund and take responsibility for the insulation of all social housing in Britain by 2025.” The group also wants a commitment from politicians to implement a “legally binding” plan to fund the full insulation of all UK homes by 2030.
“People’s day-to-day lives should not be disrupted, especially on busy motorways where lives are put at risk and resulting traffic delays will only add to vehicle emissions,” the government has previously said, addressing Insulate Britain’s tactics in a statement.