Protesters hold placards and banners during the 'National Climate Emergency Rally' in Sydney, Australia, 13 Jun 2009Thousands of demonstrators have rallied across Australia to demandgreater government action to protect the environment. A series ofso-called National Climate Emergency Rallies have been held across thecountry to demand Australia take the lead at the Copenhagen environmentsummit in December.

Theprotesters, dressed in red to highlight the perils of global warming,demanded that the Australian government take a decisive role at the U.N.summit in Copenhagen later this year that hopes to hammer out a globaldeal on climate change.

From December 7, environment ministersand officials will meet in the Danish capital to try to agree on asuccessor to the Kyoto Protocol, the first phase of which expires in2012.

Activists also want an end to Australia's dependence oncoal. Though inexpensive and abundant, its use makes Australia one ofthe world's worst per capita emitters of greenhouse gases, which manyscientists believe contribute to the warming of the earth.

InSydney, rally organizer Moira Williams says that a coalition of tradeunions and religious groups, as well as students and environmentalcampaigners, is pushing for change.

"We need to be makingthese alliances and be stronger than the fossil fuel industry thatcurrently has such a strong grip on climate policy in Australia," saidWilliams. "That is the positive in this rally and in this year that weneed to build that movement and it does need to come from the ground upbecause at the moment we are not seeing any action from the top down."

Scientists have warned that Australia is particularly vulnerable to the effects of a shifting climate.

Astemperatures increase, there are predictions that coastal communitieswill be threatened by rising sea levels, while other parts of thecountry could suffer more severe droughts, cyclones and bushfires.

The government in Canberra has repeatedly stressed that tackling climate change is a priority.

Australiais proposing what could be the most sweeping cap-and-trade system inthe world that would force larger companies to pay for their carbonemissions. About 1,000 of the country's biggest polluters, fromtransport operators and aluminium producers to gas companies andrefineries, would have to buy permits to allow them to emit carbon.

The legislation is due to be debated in Australia's upper house of parliament, the Senate, next week.

Ministershave said that the proposed trading scheme will help to curb pollution,although business leaders believe the project will cost jobs. Greengroups say the measures are not tough enough to help the environment.