THOUSANDS of environmental activists will march through London, Edinburgh and Cardiff this weekend demanding tougher action on tackling climate change ahead of upcoming United Nations talks.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who is speaking in London on Sunday, accused the government of “destructive environmental policies” and failing to answer the “biggest challenge of our time.”

Responding to news that last year saw a huge rise in winter deaths Ms Lucas said “we see nothing like the kind of action on cold homes we desperately need to save lives and cut carbon emissions.”

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, who is also speaking in London, accused the government of hypocrisy on the issue of climate change as it wants to “expand airports, is promoting fracking, tearing out the foundations of renewable energy and failing to move away from reliance on fossil fuels.”

Ahead of today’s march in Edinburgh, Green MSP Patrick Harvie called on world leaders at next week’s UN summit in Paris to “strike a bold deal to protect our society.”

Mr Harvie warned that the impact of rising global temperatures caused by developed nations “will be felt by the poorest people in the world.”

He also attacked the Scottish government for slashing air passenger tax and called on ministers to go “much further and faster on investment in buses, railways, walking and cycling to cut emissions.”

Stop Climate Chaos Scotland chairman Tom Ballantine welcomed the fact that people are “coming together to show they care about the fate of others across the world and that they want to protect the planet that we all rely on.”

He said it was “an uplifting message of solidarity that must now be matched by our politicians.”

n The London march will assemble at Park Lane at midday on Sunday. Edinburgh wil assemble at the meadows at midday on Saturday. Cardiff wil assemble at Callaghan Square at 1.30pm on Saturday.