Students, climate activists call for reducing CO2 levels in Kolkata

Kolkata, Oct 25 (ANI): Students and climate activists took out a march here in support of '350 Day' - a day dedicated to climate action.

Activists in 170 countries gathered at various cities on Saturday to spread awareness and put pressure on global leaders to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere to a healthy level of 350 parts per million.

"Every year, we see summers are getting hotter, the winters are being less cold. But what's happening is global warming. Because of that the world is in great danger right now," said Nandan Pugalia, a student.

Disputes over 2020 emissions cuts by developed nations and the amounts of cash to help developing nations combat global warming are among the main sticking points in sluggish U.N. talks meant to end in Copenhagen in December.

Developing nations led by China and India say the rich need to make cuts averaging at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 to avoid the worst of climate change.

Ashish Ghosh, convenor of the Climate Action Group, urged global leaders to make a collective pledge to save the world.

"We are asking the Governments across the world that if you all group together instead of fighting saying who will reduce how much of carbon, let us take a pledge, collectively we pledge to save the world," Ghosh said.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama called on his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in Thailand on Saturday on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit to make an international commitment on climate change, saying it was vital for a U.N. deal due in Copenhagen in December. (ANI)