Leading Methodists to Join March on Climate Change

Little over a week remains until thousands of campaigners gather in London to take part in a march on climate change and leading figures from the Methodist Church will be joining them to make their voices heard.

The I Count rally has been organised by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition and is backed by Operation Noah - an ecumenical Christian movement backed by The Methodist Church. Campaigners will put pressure on the government to take urgent action on climate change at the rally on 4 November.

For Christians coming to the capital to join in the protest, the day will kick off with a special worship service at Grosvenor Chapel.

Vice President of the Conference Dudley Coates and Secretary for International Affairs Steve Hucklesby will both speak at the service to give words of encouragement and highlight the issues from a Christian perspective.

The service will be followed by the rally at Grosvenor Square with speeches from politicians and environmentalists. A march will then take people to the mass gathering in Trafalgar Square.

Dudley Coates says "We hope as many people will join us on the day, to make their voices heard and to demonstrate that this is an issue that affects us all. But there are many things people can do even if they can't join the march on the 4th.

"Climate change is one of the key issues we face: none of us will be immune from its effects and all of us have a part to play in addressing it."

The rally has been timed to coincide with key climate change talks taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, next month.

Governments will discuss how to meet carbon emission targets set by the Kyoto protocol and further commitments beyond 2012 when they gather for the United Nations' Climate Change Conference on 6 November.

"It is important that our governments make the tough political decisions necessary to move us forward. There is considerable willingness in the private sector and in society to tackle climate change but we in the developed countries in particular need to impose effective limits on carbon emissions. The science tells us that we have to be on an irreversible downward trend by 2015.

"To achieve that will involve real challenges to our present life styles. Our grandchildren will not thank us unless we take action now."