Campaigners across the north and north-east have staged demonstrations to call for action to halt global warming.
Extinction Rebellion activists staged events across the country to coincide with the publication of the UK’s Committee on Climate Change’s annual report.
About a dozen demonstrators waved banners and flags in Forres town centre – taping a letter to the office of Moray MP Douglas Ross calling on him to support action.
Slogans including “inaction equals death”, “survival needs green action” and “climate wise mature leadership needed urgently” were written on placards.
Mr Ross explained he had discouraged the group from attending due to concerns about space on the High Street – but acknowledged the cause was important and explained he had met with them previously.
Meanwhile, a banner was hung from the Kessock Bridge near Inverness warning there is “no going back”.
Lord Deben, chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, suggested that recovery from the Covid-19 lockdown could be a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to accelerate action.
Simon Clark, who organised the Forres demonstration, said: “It can all feel a bit abstract but the weather we’re seeing this week shows that global warming is happening.
“The aim of all the groups is to let our MPs know we are watching them and we want to see action.
“We thought hard about whether to go ahead with this but decided it was an essential purpose, nothing is more important than life and death.”
Mr Clark explained numbers at the Forres demonstration had been kept deliberately low to allow it to happen while allowing social distancing between participants and shoppers.
The committee’s annual report explains that “important steps” on climate change had been taken in the last year – but warned “urgent steps” needed to be taken in the coming months.
Lord Deben said: “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address these Covid-19 and climate change challenges together – it’s there for the taking.
“The steps that the UK takes to rebuild from the pandemic can accelerate the transition to a successful and low-carbon economy and improve our climate resilience. Choices that lock in emissions or climate risks are unacceptable.”
Mr Ross explained he had asked the demonstrators to e-mail him a copy of the letter to minimise the risk to them and High Street shoppers.
He said: “While I received an electronic version, they were determined to attend, and I think this is regrettable while we are still dealing with the pandemic.
“The Scottish and UK governments have both been clear that this virus is still out there, and I just feel turning up on the High Street to get their photo taken was not the responsible thing to do when they had already sent me their concerns.”
