THE Church of England is backing calls for action on climate change by launching a 250-mile pilgrimage from London to a conference of world leaders in Paris later this year.

People and groups are being urged to walk some or all of the route, cheer on pilgrims as they pass by, or organise “mini-pilgrimages” and prayer vigils in their communities.

The pilgrimage will start from St Martin-in-the-Fields, in central London, on 13 November, and finish in Paris on 27 November, when negotiators from more than 190 nations will gather for the opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference on 30 November.

The pilgrims will hand in petitions calling for a fair, ambitious, and legally binding deal to the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Christiana Figueres. They will also join an interfaith gathering and a mass mobilisation of prayer in Paris.

The Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, the Church’s Lead Bishop for the environment, said: “It is really important we join the journey — and we can do it in all sorts of ways, either by taking part in all or part of the pilgrimage, or by gathering people to pray within our own communities.

“Through our prayers and our pilgrimage, we are strengthening and encouraging those taking part in the Paris talks to reach fair, accountable, and firm commitments which will change the way we act and move us towards a low carbon economy.”

For more information and to join the pilgrimage, visit:

www.pilgrimage2paris.org.uk