A PROMINENT Green politician has spoken out ahead of next weekend's Ilminster Climate March.

The event, which has been organised by Allison Jarman and supported by the Green Party, is taking place on Sunday, November 29, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris next week.

Mrs Jarman said: "This year I am organising the Ilminster Climate March because I am a concerned mother and grandmother who can no longer stand by and wait for our leaders to lead - they need all of the encouragement that we can muster.

"The Global Climate Change Movement grows larger every year and the more events that are held to inform the public, the more notice will be taken by our elected members.

"Delaying action on runaway carbon emissions are increasing costs to the economy and hoodwink the population into believing that there is no urgency.

"Climate Change affects us all directly and indirectly and regardless of political or scientific opinions we are all responsible for safe-guarding this planet for future generations."

The South West's Green MEP, Molly Scott Cato, has warned that failure to agree a deal on keeping the planet to less than two degrees of warming could lead to grave consequences for the region.

"In recent years we have seen severe flooding in the South West, damaging homes and livelihoods, disrupting crucial road and rail infrastructure and causing emotional trauma," Dr Scott Cato said.

"We have witnessed storm surges washing away parts of our iconic coastline.

"These are just the sort of impacts that are likely to become increasingly frequent as our climate becomes more disrupted and destabilised by higher temperatures."

The Ilminster march is due to start at 10am on Sunday, November 29 from Tesco in Shudrick Lane.

People will then walk through the town to the Minster, where they will display green plastic milk bottle tops that have been collected as part of a scheme to keep recyclables out of landfill.

It has been organised in association with Avaaz as part of the Global Climate Change March, which has already encouraged a groundbreaking US – China deal to limit carbon emissions.

The Ilminster People’s Climate Change March is one of 1,923 marches organised worldwide.

Dr Scott Cato added: "The earth is on loan to us from future generations. We have a duty to safeguard it and pass it back to them in a habitable state. The next few weeks will decide whether we are worthy of such responsibility."