Climate change summit: Thousands join global protests

Street protests demanding urgent action on climate change have been taking place around the world, with marches reported in more than 2,000 locations.

The People's Climate March is campaigning for curbs on carbon emissions, ahead of the UN climate summit in New York next week.
Huge demonstrations have been taking place in Australia and Europe.
In Manhattan, tens of thousands of people are at a march that is due to be joined by UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
Organisers of the Manhattan event said they had attracted 550 busloads of marchers, billing it as the biggest protest on the issue for five years.
They said the massive mobilisation was aimed at transforming climate change "from an environmental concern to an 'everybody issue.'"
Business leaders, environmentalists and celebrities are expected to join the demonstration.
Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio will also attend, having been appointed as a UN representative on climate change last week.

Some of the marchers in New York wore costumes associated with indigenous people

 

 

 UN chief Ban Ki-moon and actor Leonardo DiCaprio will join protesters on the streets of New York 

 

 

An image captured from a drone shows protesters in Sydney forming the words "Beyond Coal + Gas"

 

Protests are expected to take place in about 160 countries, including Afghanistan, Belgium and the UK

 

In Australia, organisers said up to 20,000 people had turned out in Melbourne to call on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to do more to tackle climate change.
The BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney says protesters fear Australia faces more severe droughts, bushfires and storms unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.
On Tuesday, the UN will host a climate summit at its headquarters in New York with 125 heads of state and government - the first such gathering since the unsuccessful climate conference in Copenhagen in 2009.
Mr Ban, the UN's Secretary General, hopes leaders can make progress on a universal agreement to be signed by all nations at the end of 2015.
He said he would "link arms with those marching for climate action" to show that the UN stands "with them on the right side of this key issue for our common future."
The New York rally is part of a global protest that includes events in 161 countries - Afghanistan, the UK and Italy among them.