Climate activists from the Fridays for Future movement have planned another climate strike on Friday, April 21. They are demanding a clear stance from the Czech government against extending mining at the Bílina mine and the publication of documents on the state of groundwater around the Polish Turów mine. The strike will begin at Malostranské náměstí in Prague, symbolizing the year 2033 when the Czech Republic was supposed to have created conditions for moving away from coal, according to the government’s program declaration.

The Northern Bohemian Mines was granted permission to extend mining at the Bílina mine in Teplice until 2035 by the District Mining Authority at the end of March this year. Greenpeace plans to appeal against the decision. High school students are asking the government to issue a clear stance against extending mining since the ČEZ Group controls the Northern Bohemian Mines and the Czech Republic and has almost a 70% stake in ČEZ.

According to the Ministry of Industry, the extension of mining is not ruled out with the government’s aim to move away from coal by 2033. The government’s aim is to stop burning coal, not mining it. The office stated in March that the government had committed in its program declaration to create conditions for energy transformation and the development of coal regions so that moving away from coal by 2033 is possible.

The Polish Turów mine is located near the Czech and German borders. Environmental organizations have long warned that mining endangers the environment and destroys groundwater in the area. They also criticize the Czech-Polish agreement from February 2022 on addressing the impact of mining in the Turów mine, which they say does not protect Czech citizens from water loss.

In March, the Ministry of the Environment stated that it provides information to the public transparently and based on the law. According to the ministry, Poland is fulfilling its commitments. However, the students from Fridays for Future movement are calling for more transparency and for the government to take a more proactive role in addressing the impact of mining on the environment and the climate crisis.

The strike is a call for action from the government to take a clear stance against extending mining and to protect the environment and the future of the country. The Fridays for Future movement has been a driving force in the fight against climate change, and their continued efforts to raise awareness and demand action from governments are crucial in addressing the climate crisis.

Article by Prague Forum