Edinburgh hosts the third most climate strikers in the UK, new study finds

Environmental protesters out in force in Edinburgh

Over 34,000 people attended climate strikes in Edinburgh over the last five years, the third highest rate in the UK, according to a new study.

Using strike data from Greta Thunberg’s Fridays For Future, a new study from Utility Bidder has revealed the destinations that are leading the fight against climate change with the most organised strikes.

After the UK government announced 100 new oil and gas exploration licenses, hundreds of activists marched the streets of Edinburgh in September to call for these to be cancelled. The demonstration was organised by Friends of the Earth Scotland, Extinction Rebellion, and Greenpeace, with the route taking them past UK government offices to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood.

Stock photo of a End Fossil Fuels Scotland protest in Edinburgh in September. Photo by Lisa Ferguson.

The study also reveals that Edinburgh has the second most searches online for climate activist opportunities in the UK – 79.57 searches per 100,000 people, behind Manchester with 98.61 searches per 100,000 people. In the last four years, there were a total of 370 searches for climate activist opportunities in Edinburgh, with the idea of joining Extinction Rebellion being the most popular opportunity.

Taking the top spot for climate strikers in the UK is London, with just over 130,000 protesters joining climate protests. The UK capital is a hotspot for protests, whether that be marches or demonstrations. In October, protesters gathered outside of JP Morgan’s headquarters in Canary Wharf, with Greta Thunberg among them. In second place is Manchester, with more than 100,000 protesters joining climate protests.

Across Europe, taking the top spot for the amount of climate strikes taking place is Sweden, with 107.3 strikes per million people. Sweden is a global leader in reducing the impact of climate change. Between 1990 and 2021, Sweden reduced its carbon emissions by 33 per cent, and by 2030, it aims to reduce its emissions by 70 per cent compared to 2010. Sweden is also the homeland of 20-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, founder of Fridays for Future, a movement which organises school strikes so that children can take part in climate protests.

Germany has more people taking part in climate protests than any other country, with almost 52,000 strikers per million people. Germany had the seventh-highest number of strikes in total, as well as the highest number of strikers in total. However, these strikes have become more disruptive, causing the government to crack down on climate protests as the police use techniques often used to fight organised crime.

Luxembourg has the biggest strike turnouts, with an average of 4,000 people attending each strike. Luxembourg is home to Mouvement Écologique, which campaign, protest, and carry out projects to help tackle climate change. Luxembourg is also home to a division of Youth for Climate – a group who skip school demanding urgent political action against climate change.