P.E.I. environmentalists march Sunday to demand climate-change action

Fourteen P.E.I. environmental and social justice groups are turning up the heat on world political leaders heading to the Paris climate summit next week.

The groups organized a march Sunday in Stratfordto demand that a meaningful climate change agreement be reached at the two-week COP21 international climate conference, which begins on Monday.

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"We're looking for, in this country, from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government, that he deliver to Canadians 100 per cent clean and renewable energy by 2050," said Leo Broderick, one of the organizers of the P.E.I. march.

"We want no more fossil fuels. This is the major issue with climate change. The technology is there. All we require is the political will."

The groups want to see the P.E.I. government achieve this target by 2035.

Stratford's climate march is one of dozens taking place around the world on this global day of action.

"We are, and many people around the world are, demanding action on climate change," said Broderick.

"We realize that the climate change impacts the most on the most vulnerable in the global south and the poor, and there needs to be strong leadership from our political leaders as the Paris climate summit begins."

The march will begin at Our Lady of Assumption Church at 1 p.m. and will head to Pondside Park where there will be a Mi'kmaq sacred water ceremony.

Marchers will return to the church parish hall for a lecture by Heather Eaton called "Pope Francis: Climate Change Hurts the Poor the Most" at 2 p.m.