Protestors in Merseyside join global day of action against climate change

Video report by ITV News reporter Ralph Blunsom

Environmental protestors in Sefton have joined a global day of action calling on world leaders at COP26 to 'act now'.

The Save Rimrose Valley campaign and Sefton Climate Action Group called for people from across the borough to join them in demonstration to highlight the climate emergency.

The event has been organised by a coalition of environmental groups from across the Liverpool City Region. The march started at South Liverpool's Sefton Park, followed by a march to the city centre, before culminating in a rally in Derby Square. 

The demonstration is part of a Global Day of Action for Climate Justice bringing together a wide variety of different movements 'to build power for system change.' 

It is being held as talks continue at the ongoing COP26 meeting of world leaders to discuss action on climate change, which began in Glasgow earlier this week. 

Stuart Bennett of Save Rimrose Valley said: 

"Since we began our campaign over 4 years ago, we have come to learn that our fight against National Highways' Port of Liverpool Access Road isn't 'just' about protecting our essential green space. 

"There are direct links to the climate emergency, with transport being the UK's biggest contributor to climate-wrecking CO2 emissions.  In our case, these come not only from the HGVs this road is intended to support, but also from Peel Ports' own shipping operations."

"If this government is serious about tackling the climate emergency, it must urgently pursue innovative solutions to the movement of freight which are zero emission. 

They have called on the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps to use COP26 as a catalyst to cancel the road proposal for a sustainable alternative. 

James O'Keeffe from Sefton Climate Action Group, James O'Keeffe said: 

"Sefton is such a special place to live and it needs to be protected for future generations.

We are already witnessing the very real and current threat of flooding from storms, due to the increased frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events caused by climate change.  These will only continue unless we act now." 

"Here in Sefton, action is needed around renewable energy, home insulation, waste recycling and transport to reduce carbon emissions and stop pollution."

"We want people of all ages from across Sefton to come together for this demonstration and to join the fight for a better future." 

Video report by ITV News Correspondent Mel Barham

Meanwhile young campaigners from across the North West have added their voices to calls for more to be done to tackle climate change

They joined activist Greta Thunberg and thousands of other protesters in Glasgow this afternoon outside the Cop26 climate summit to make their voices heard. 

The government said environmental issues will now be at the heart of the curriculum but warned young people against missing school at a time when the pandemic has already had a huge impact on their learning.

Greta Thunberg called the Cop26 conference, where countries are meeting in a bid to increase ambition on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, "a global north greenwash festival, a two-week long celebration of business as usual and blah blah blah".

More protests were held in Manchester city centre, with protestors holding banners calling for a new coal mine in Cumbria to be scrapped.