Paris climate summit: Hundreds call for action in Wolverhampton protest

The event was part of a series of marches around the Globe on Sunday, that took place in advance of this week's critical UN climate summit in Paris.

Demonstrators gathered in Queen Square and heard speeches on the issue from a number of campaign groups.

The Green Party's Andrea Cantrill, who organised the event with the city's Interfaith Council, said the demonstration had been a huge success.

"Small actions can make a global difference, and it is down to us all to do our bit," she said.

"We want to ask our leaders for 100 per cent renewables. Solar panelling should be everywhere. If we start with every public building here in Wolverhampton it would help massively to reduce our carbon footprint and start making it a fairer world.

"There is no Plant B."

Speakers at the event included Khalid Akhtar, Trevor Stockton from CAFOD, Dr Yusuf Shafi, Paul Abbs from Wolverhampton World Poverty Action and David Fulljames from Wolverhampton Fairtrade.

They took the podium in Queen Square before the march proceeded down Dudley Street.

Other events took place in Newcastle and Belfast, while more than 50,000 people gathered in London's Hyde Park.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, actresses Emma Thompson and Vanessa Redgrave, singers Thom Yorke and Charlotte Church, Green, and the Green MP Caroline Lucas all took part in the London event.

Addressing the crowds before the march began, Mr Corbyn said: "The issues facing the world in Paris this week are pollution, climate change, inequality, environmental refugees, war refugees and resources wars.

"If we are to make a real difference in Paris, all these issues have got to be thought about and addressed."

This week's gathering of 147 heads of state and government is set to be far bigger than the 2009 summit in Copenhagen, the last time the world came close to agreeing a long-term deal on climate change.