Demonstration on streets of Chesterfield to mark COP26 climate change conference

A 10ft 'oil monster' puppet and its barons will parade through town carrying banners calling on world leaders to take action on climate change.

Across the UK, up to 500,000 people from all walks of life are expected to join demonstrations demanding global climate justice.

The event in Chesterfield is being organised by the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Hub of the COP26 Coalition, a civil society coalition made of groups and individuals organising for climate justice around COP26.

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At the Glasgow summit, world leaders will make their pledges to limit global warming, with the eyes of the world focused to see what they can agree to do to prevent global warming.

Sir David Attenborough has urged them to 'rewrite our story' and 'turn this tragedy into a triumph'.

Local campaigners are also urging people in the area to think about their own carbon footprint.

Climate Action North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield Climate Alliance spokesperson Brian Lever said: “As residents of the Chesterfield area, we know that many aspects of our lives must begin to change, and some details of these changes must be decided and driven locally.

"The sizes of our carbon footprints can be reduced partly by us as individuals and our local councils, as well as by government policy.”

Local climate action groups have worked together and devised a survey to find what local people would like to see happening in their area.

The groups are particularly interested to hear from the younger generation who will face the consequences of climate change.

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The survey has been circulated widely in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire, and is available here. It will be open until November 30 and the results will be revealed on December 17.

Saturday’s demonstration will assemble at Shentall Gardens by Chesterfield Town Hall at 12noon before marching through the town and finishing with a rally at New Square.

A Derbyshire Climate Coalition spokesperson said: “We hope our giant Oil Monster and the attendant barons will communicate some of the horror that we need to avoid.

"Keeping fossil fuels in the ground will give us a chance to prevent a climate catastrophe.”