Cut the Carbon march reaches London

Christian Aid

A group of Christian Aid activists arrive in the capital this weekend at the end of a 1,000 mile Cut the Carbon march from Northern Ireland to London that has brought the issue of climate change to the doorsteps of local people and to businesses and MPs across the country.

A core team of 18 marchers from the UK and the developing world left Bangor in Northern Ireland on 14 July. The march arrives in central London this Monday and will be welcomed to the capital by senior Bishops and then the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, who will join the march along the Thames outside City Hall.

A delegation from the marchers will go to Downing Street with shoelaces collected from along the route from members of the public who had swapped them for Christian Aid Cut the Carbon shoelaces to demonstrate their support for the issue.

On Tuesday, hundreds of supporters are to join the marchers for their final mile from Tooley Street near Tower Bridge past the London Stock Exchange to St Paul's Cathedral, where there will be a rally at 1.00pm and then a service at 2.00pm. Supporters and members of the public are welcome to come along.

Tim Jones, 26, a walker and World Development Movement activist from Herne
Hill, London, said: "We've reached out to thousands of people to inspire them to campaign to tackle climate change and have delivered a powerful message to the government that it must act justly by reducing our emissions."

The oldest UK walker is 68 year-old Hereford grandmother, Merryn Hellier, while other marchers include a businessman and South African Bishop, who has walked in his cassock.

Along the route, marchers have lobbied MPs to strengthen the government
climate change bill; they have also met with businesses across the country, urging companies such as the Royal Bank of Scotland and Tesco, to cut their carbon emissions.

The marchers are calling on the UK government to commit to a UK cut of at least 80 per cent in carbon emission by the year 2050 in the climate change bill. They want business to publish their emissions annually and reduce their emissions by five per cent year on year.

Celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Lemar, Terra Naomi and Greta Scacchi have publicised their support for the march, sung at rallies in key British cities including Edinburgh, Leeds, Birmingham and Cardiff, or walked with the marchers, urging government and businesses to Cut the Carbon.

Marchers have lobbied at the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth and gone to church with the Prime Minister. Two international marchers - Mohammed Adow, 28, from Kenya and Rosalia Soley, 22, from El Salvador, met Gordon Brown.

Rosalia said she chose to go on the march because of the effects of extreme climate on the poor in her country. 'The climate in El Salvador has gone completely mad. Some years there isn't enough rain and people lose their harvest because of drought, other years there's too much and the crops are washed away. It never used to be like this.'

Cassia Bechara from Brazil said of the march: 'We have started a process in British society of broadening the debate about climate change and its causes and consequences. But this is just a beginning. We believe this process will turn into a mass movement, where people will take collective actions to tackle climate change.'

For further information on how to get involved in the Christian Aid
climate campaign visit www.christianaid.org.uk

Notes:

1. Christian Aid is an international development agency, working in some of the world's poorest communities in more than 50 countries. We act where the need is greatest, regardless of religion, helping people build the life they deserve.
2. The marchers will be in London from 30 September to 2 October when their long march will finally be completed. The key events will be:

Sun 30 Sept:

* 11.00am Church Service Kingston United Reformed Church, Eden Street, Kingston Upon Thames

* 11.30am March through Richmond Park with Richmond MP Susan Kramer. Kingston Gate, Richmond Park, Richmond.

* 1.30pm Lunch at The Railway pub with local supporters and Putney MP Justine Greening (to be confirmed) The Railway Pub, Upper Richmond Road, Putney

* 16.00pm Picnic and Quiz, with members of the public in grounds of St Mary's Church Battersea, Battersea Church Road, Battersea (inside church hall if there is bad weather)

Mon 1 Oct:

* 10.45 Photo opportunity and meeting at House of Bishops, Lambeth Palace, Lambeth

* 4pm Meeting with Ken Livingstone, Greater London Authority, City Hall, The Queen's Walk, More London, London

* 7pm Last Night of the March - Music and celebration, St John's Waterloo, Waterloo Road, Waterloo, London

Tues 2 Oct

* 11am Gather in the Riverside area next to the City Hall, at
More London Place, near Tower Bridge (nearest tube: London Bridge.)

* 11.45am Audience moves to Tooley Street to prepare to march.
* 12.00pm March starts
* 12.45pm March arrives outside St Paul's Cathedral via the
London Stock Exchange, and rally starts. Speakers include international marchers and the London Samba Band.

* 1pm Rally starts. Speakers include international marchers and the London Samba Band.

* 1.30pm Rally ends and people can begin entering St Paul's Cathedral (everyone needs to be seated by 1.45pm)

* 2pm St Paul's Cathedral service starts