Several environmental organisations together with Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino and the Opposition’s spokesman for the environment Leo Brincat today participated in an activity calling for international action on climate change.

During the activity, organised by Friends of the Earth Malta, the words Act Now were formed by a small crowd including Mr Pullicino, Mr Brincat, Labour MP Owen Bonnici and television personalities Claire Agius and Vince Fabri.

Friends of the Earth International is demanding climate justice and an end to offsetting carbon emissions. The people taking part formed the words Act Now to send a strong message to world leaders that a safe and fair deal must be agreed in order for dangerous levels of climate change to be avoided.

This deal should also protect the world’s poorest who will suffer most from the effects of climate change.

The Copenhagen Climate Talks were the world's last chance to secure an emissions reductions agreement that would replace the Kyoto Protocol before it expired. There was a growing consensus among scientists that the global growth in greenhouse gas emissions had to be reversed in less than 10 years before 'runaway' climate change became uncontrollable.

That meant the international talks currently being held in Copenhagen could be the last chance to avert a global catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.