BONN: Thousands of demonstrators converged on Bonn on Saturday ahead of UN climate negotiations demanding that governments step up action to halt global warming, starting with a rapid phase-out of coal-burning power plants.

Decked out in red to signify their “Stop Coal” campaign, the protesters chan­ted slogans and beat drums as they snaked through the former West Germany capital toward the UN centre that will host the 12-day, 196-nation talks, tasked with implementing the landmark Paris Agreement.

Police did not estimate crowd size, but noted that organizers put the figure at more than 20,000.

Inked outside the French capital in 2015, the world’s only climate treaty calls for capping global warming at “well under” two degrees Celsius, and 1.5 degrees Celsius if possible.

Earth has already warmed by 1 degree Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.

“The lives and livelihoods of millions of people are under threat, entire island states are in danger of disappearing from rising sea-levels,” a coalition of more than 100 civil society groups said in a statement ahead of the march.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2017