(Front page photo credit: Eleanor Bentall/Tearfund)

Two days before world leaders were set to meet in Copenhagen to discuss a possible agreement to deal with the problem of climate change, thousands of people gathered in London, and many more in Dublin, Belfast and Glasgow, to call on the UK government to "make Copenhagen count." The marches were organised by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition and representatives from various Christian organisations, including the Evangelical Alliance, Micah Challenge and Tearfund, were present.

On the morning of Saturday 5 December 3,000 people attended a church service held at Westminster Central Hall that was led by Steve Clifford, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance. Steve welcomed the attendees and commented on the significance of bringing different Christian groups together on an urgent issue, and as they left he urged people to consider the practical steps they could take to tackle the injustice of climate change.

Others involved in the service included Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

"This weekend's events should send a clear message of urgency and hope to the Copenhagen Summit," said Archbishop Williams at the service.

"This is a very important moment for us all in trying to keep everyone's eyes open to the serious environmental challenges we face and the world's leaders need to hear from the world's people about their desire for a safe, sustainable environment in which God's care for all he has made is honoured by us." 

After the service many of the church leaders joined The Wave demonstration, with some of them painting their hands blue in line with the colour theme of the day, and others holding banners from their parishes and agencies calling on the government to think of the world's poorest first in the debate on the climate. The Wave started at Grosvenor Square and ended encircling the Houses of Parliament, prompting climate change secretary Ed Miliband to hold a meeting with church leaders and others to discuss the importance of taking action coming out of the Copenhagen summit.

You can see pictures from the day on Tearfund's website and see Wave updates on Twitter by searching for #thewave.

News links - The Wave

Catholic Herald: Leaders press for action on climate

Press Association: Protestors demand climate 'justice'

Guardian: The Wave breaks over London: Britain's biggest action on climate change

BBC: Scotland 'a pioneer for good' on climate

BBC: Welsh climate protestors join The Wave climate demo

Tearfund: Church leaders send a message of urgency and hope to the Copenhagen summit

Ekklesia: 3,000 gather for service to start The Wave

Ekklesia: Put world's poorest first in climate debate says Archbishop

News links - Copenhagen summit

BBC: Copenhagen negotiators struggle to save talks

Guardian comment: Copenhagen must bring gender justice

Telegraph: Copenhagen stalls decision on catastrophic climate change for six years

Guardian: Poor nations threaten climate deal showdown at Copenhagen

BBC: Emissions 'higher than reported'

Telegraph: Rich nations accused of 'climate colonialism'

Telegraph: Developing countries warn of 'absolute devastation'

Telegraph: Copenhagen climate summit: Barack Obama given power to cut greenhouse gases

Times: Copenhagen summit - Europe turns on US and China over weak emission targets

Independent: 'We won't let sceptics hijack climate talks'

BBC: Copenhagen climate change summit to open

Times: Heathrow's third runway passes the carbon test

Times: Climate emails were hijacked 'to sabotage summit'

Independent: Greenhouse gas cuts just 'token gestures'

Telegraph: Copenhagen climate summit - Gordon Brown's climate change record attacked

Guardian comment: 14 days to seal history's judgment on this generation

Guardian comment (Gordon Brown): Copenhagen must be a turning point - our children won't forgive us if we fail