Climate change protests staged across the globe

The protests come just days before officials gather in Madrid for talks on tackling climate change.

Australians affected by recent devastating wildfires in the country have joined young environmentalists kicking off a global protest demanding that governments act against climate change.

The “global day of action” involves rallies in hundreds of cities around the world.

It comes days before officials gather on Monday in Madrid for talks on tackling climate change.

Janet Reynolds, who joined a protest in Sydney, said she had lost everything in an “inferno, an absolute firestorm that raced through my property”.

Speaking outside the local offices of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Liberal Party, student Daisy Jeffrey said: “People have lost their homes, people have lost their lives. We have to ask: How far does this have to go before our government finally takes action?”

Further rallies were taking places in cities worldwide, including Washington, London, Berlin and Madrid.

Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg, who is travelling across the Atlantic by sailboat to attend the climate talks next week, sent a message of support to protesters.

“Everyone’s needed. Everyone’s welcome. Join us,” she said on Twitter.

About two dozen environmental activists in the German capital symbolically jumped into the chilly waters of the Spree river in front of parliament to protest against a government-backed package of measures they say will not be enough to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The package was blocked Friday by Germany’s upper house, which represents the country’s 16 states.