Thousands take to the streets of London in support of the London People’s Climate March calling for global action on climate change.
Labour Party supporters attending the People’s Climate March in London called on their leaders at the Manchester party conference to take a lead in the political battle to reduce emissions and prevent catastrophic global warming.
Grassroots Labour supporters and party members attending today’s demonstration called on leader Ed Miliband, who introduced the Climate Change Act in 2008, to make a stronger commitment to global warming policy ahead of the 2015 general election.
Harpreet Ajula, a Labour party member and former councillor for Slough, said: “If Ed Miliband were an island he would be underwater right now. He has not at all lived up to his promises of making climate policies top of the agenda.”
Mark Robson, a Labour voter, hoped that the march would put mounting pressure on the world leaders attending the UN summit in New York this Tuesday. “There is a fundamental disconnect between the electorate and the people,” he said. “I don’t trust any of them to carry out their climate promises in confidence.”
Totally Disillusioned
Titus Foster, who will vote for the Green party, was one of the many marchers who turned out due to a sense of overwhelming responsibility, not only for himself but for the generations to follow. “It’s about my kids and it’s about their kids. We are all sitting together on the same branch that we are busy cutting down.”
Vivienne Westwood and Emma Thompson were amongst the celebrities who turned out around the world in support of the People’s Climate March.
Thompson, an Oscar winning actress, urged the crowd to take action: “Now we must use our power to tackle the biggest threat humanity has ever faced,” she said.
With the elections looming in 2015, many on the march felt that more pressure was needed to ensure that climate change would be placed high on the government’s agenda.
United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, whi is due to attend the climate march in New York said he will ‘link arms with those marching for climate change.”
David Cameron will be amongst the 140 heads of state attending the climate summit this Tuesday that will set the parameters for the crucial climate agreement in Paris next year.
