Why Are Climate Activists Protesting A Climate Conference?
Activists disrupted the opening of the Exeter Climate Forum conference on 29 June 2026 in protest of the event being sponsored by Howden – an insurance company whose clients include fossil fuel companies.
It’s a warm Monday morning, which feels like a relief after the past week of baking heat.
It’s also the first day of a three-day climate conference at the University of Exeter. As the meeting gets underway, I hear faint drumming from outside. Then, a group holding banners reading “Stop Insuring Climate Chaos” and “Howden Insurance: Climate Criminals” take centre stage.