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Protesters disrupted a Glasgow City Council meeting to demand urgent action on climate change.

Members of Extinction Rebellion interrupted councillors to deliver their message on “impending disasters” caused by climate breakdown.

Some councillors walked out as one protester read out a speech, ignoring committee convener Bailie Malcolm Balfour’s request to sit down.

However, the committee later invited Extinction Rebellion to join its newly-approved emergency group, which aims to deal with the dangers of climate change.

The protester said: “We are here today to tell you that urgent and radical action is needed now.

“We have come to this meeting to highlight the fact that climate breakdown is going to destroy this city, devastating our generation and any future generations that may or indeed may not come.

“These impending disasters you will be discussing as part of the climate emergency working group – such as infectious diseases, extreme weather, chemical or radioactive leaks, biodiversity and species loss, mass human displacement and the expectation of many climate refugees – are all caused by climate breakdown.

“This committee for the establishment of a climate emergency working group was formed 18 months ago and you are still drafting terms. Where is the urgency?

“We are Extinction Rebellion and we will be on the right side of history.”

When the meeting resumed, Mr Balfour told protesters: “There may be room for you to be a member of the group. Your voice will be heard. It’s not the done thing to disrupt a meeting.”

Vice convener Martha Wardrop, who will chair the emergency group, said: “We appreciate you putting forward your views.

“We’d be delighted to involve you in work in the next few months. You have to have respect for the council’s policies and procedures.”

The move to form an emergency group followed a recent report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which found the world may only have a dozen years to limit global warming to a rise of no more than 1.5 °C.

It says urgent action is needed to keep the Earth’s temperature within this range or the consequences will be severe.

A council officer said this outlined in “stark terms” the “extraordinary and unprecedented challenge facing us all”.

He said the group will look at further reducing carbon emissions in the city and develop a climate adaptation strategy.

Councillor Maggie McTernan said: “Climate justice is a matter of moral justice as well. It’s really important to remember it will affect those who are disadvantaged first.

“It’s important to engage with people who are motivated, and also people who are not keen, uncertain or opposed.

“If we don’t do this together it’s not going to work.”

Councillor Jim Kavanagh added: “I’m glad these people turned up today, they’re really, really concerned. We, as a city, should be really concerned.

“We need to address it more effectively, more efficiently and most importantly more quickly.”

The new group will meet on Tuesday, February 26.