An international aid agency has today called on people across Great Britain to join a 1,000-mile protest march over climate change.
The “Cut the Carbon” march is the longest protest march in UK history and is being staged by Christian Aid between July 14 and October 2 this year.
Christian Aid has organised the event in support of its “Climate Changed” campaign which aims to highlight the devastating impact global warming is having on millions of poor people in developing countries and put pressure on the Government to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by 5% year on year.
The march will go through 70 towns and cities and more than 50,000 people are expected to get involved along the way.
Concerts featuring bands, performers and comedy acts will be held in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff and London.
The 20 core walkers, who will complete the 1,000 miles in 11 weeks, come from the UK and some of the developing nations in which Christian Aid works on climate issues, including El Salvador and Tajikistan.
The walkers will carry messages about the impact of global warming across the world and will encourage members of the public to join the national campaign and make personal commitments to reducing their carbon footprint.
Paul Brannen, head of campaigns at Christian Aid, said: “Climate change is the most serious threat to humanity and poor people in the least developed countries are already dying as a result of floods, droughts and conflict over scarce resources, such as water, that are becoming scarcer as the planet heats up.
“They need our help to tackle climate change by reducing emissions, through individual actions and by putting pressure on the UK Government to pursue climate-friendly national and international policies.”
For further information on the route and how to join the march in your area or how to get involved in the Christian Aid climate campaign visit www.christianaid.org.uk/climatechange