What is Insulate Britain and what does it want?
- Published
Nine Insulate Britain protesters have been jailed for illegally blocking traffic on the M25.
The campaign group began a wave of protests two months ago, blocking major roads and motorways in England.
What is Insulate Britain?
Insulate Britain is a recently-launched campaigning organisation.
It is calling for a national programme to ensure homes are insulated to be low energy by 2030.
What has Insulate Britain been doing?
The group has blocked a number of major roads in and around London, including around Parliament.
Insulate Britain has also targeted the M25 near the Dartford Crossing, the Old Street junction, and the Blackwall Tunnel - where there were angry exchanges with drivers.
Motorist: "I need to go to the hospital, please let me pass. This isn't OK... how can you be so selfish?"
How has the government responded to the protests?
The government has taken out a number of court injunctions, external to try to prevent further action, and new powers targeting such protests have been announced.
These include four injunctions granted to National Highways, banning demonstrations on the M25, around the Port of Dover and on major roads around London, and one to Transport for London (TfL).
TfL was granted a civil banning order aimed at preventing protesters from blocking traffic on some of London's busiest roads.
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that every motorway and major A-road in the country is now covered by injunctions, tweeting that "Anyone who causes misery to motorists may face prison.", external
Why were the Insulate Britain activists sent to prison?
Nine Insulate Britain protesters were jailed for breaching the ban on protests on the M25 by taking part in a blockade of the motorway on 8 October.
Eight were sentenced to four months in prison.
Another protestor, Ben Taylor, was given a longer sentence of six months, "to deter [him] from committing further breaches," after Judge Dame Victoria Sharp criticised his submissions to the court as "inflammatory" and a "call to arms".
The group had suspended its civil resistance campaign ahead of the recent COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow.
But speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice after the sentencing, the group's representatives vowed to keep protesting.
How ambitious are its goals?
Insulate Britain lists two main aims on its website, external:
The government should fund the insulation of all social housing by 2025
A "legally-binding national plan" for a low energy and low carbon retrofit of all homes in Britain by 2030
Low energy homes use considerably less energy and use renewable energy for heating and electricity.
In June, the UK Committee on Climate Change said, external there had been "minimal progress" in recent years on improving the insulation of buildings or in switching to low-carbon heating.
Insulate Britain activists blocking a motorway junction near Heathrow Airport
What have critics said about the group?
Many of those directly affected by protests have objected to the group's tactics.
Boris Johnson labelled Insulate Britain "irresponsible crusties" who have been "doing considerable damage to the economy".
Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said while there was a place for direct action, Insulate Britain was "not necessarily always doing it in the most constructive way".
Insulate Britain defends its tactics, saying they are the most successful route to achieve mass change.
How is Insulate Britain related to Extinction Rebellion?
Insulate Britain is a much smaller UK-specific campaign group, although they share many goals and have used similar tactics.
It is supported by some members of Extinction Rebellion and its allied networks - although the groups are not officially integrated.