Climate activists use smoke and ‘flames’ on new EU building to warn of ‘climate emergency’

Fifty Greenpeace activists have been arrested for scaling the EU’s new headquarters and using smoke and images of fire to warn of a “climate emergency”.

Just hours before leaders gather to discuss plans to combat global warming at the summit in Brussels, environmental activists clad in red and wearing climbing gear stood on ledges of the Europa building as police gathered below and a helicopter circled overhead.

The group managed to climb the building by using the ladder of an old fire engine and have enough food to last for two days, according to Greenpeace spokesman Mark Breddy.

The 28 climbers, with 33 more activists from Greenpeace Belgium on the ground, wrapped the building with images of giant lapping red and yellow flames, setting off billowing clouds of black and white smoke, red distress flares, and sounding a loud fire alarm.

Greenpeace have warned that without emergency measures and an agreement to strengthen the EU’s current emissions reduction target for 2030, it will be much harder to reach climate neutrality.

Greenpeace EU director Jorgo Riss said: “The world is on fire and our governments are letting it burn. It’s not enough for them to commit to a climate neutral EU in 2050.

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“The presidents and prime ministers in Brussels today will be long gone by then. What counts even more is the urgent action they take now, while they are in power.”

The stunt is the latest from the environmental group, who have been banned from carrying out protests on North Sea oil rigs after they boarded two that had been decommissioned in October.

Oil giant Shell won an order blocking them from occupying any other rigs over issues of property rights.

A small group also managed to stand in the way of Boris Johnson’s car as he made his way to the Queen to become Prime Minister in July.

The EU leaders are set to debate ways for the 28-nation bloc to become carbon neutral by 2050.

But poorer coal-dependent nations fear they could be hardest hit by the effort to transform their energy sources.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled on Wednesday a new "European Green Deal" with an offer of some 100 billion euro (£84 billion) to help fossil-fuel reliant EU nations that make the transition to lower emissions.

The EU leaders will also discuss their long-term budget plans, the euro single currency and Brexit.

Yahoo News UK has contacted the EC for comment.