HUNDREDS of people have taken part in demonstrations in Ireland demanding action on climate change, while violence erupted at a banned protest in Paris with police using tear gas.
Rallies were organised in Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Galway joining cities across the world ahead of the United Nations' summit in Paris.
A number of political figures attended the Belfast protest including Alliance Party leader David Ford and South Belfast MLA Anna Lo.
In Belfast, protesters braved the rain and bitterly cold temperatures at Writers Square in the city centre.
Among those taking part was Green Party leader Steven Agnew who said everyone had their role to play in tackling the global problem.
He said: "Our purpose is to send a message internationally that we want a deal in Paris but locally, Northern Ireland has to play its part too.
"This is an issue that has not gone away. It will impact on the people of Northern Ireland, albeit it will impact most on the world's poorest. But, we all need to take action to mitigate this global problem.
"We still need a climate bill," Mr Agnew said.
The Belfast rally saw a crowd of around 300 brave the elements to sing along to music and hear speeches urging action.
Around 100 people took part in an ecumenical service in support of moves to tackle climate change in nearby St Anne's Cathedral prior to the rally.
Mary Friel from Trocaire said: "We are here today joining thousands of participants across the world calling for action on climate change. We want a situation that by 2050 we are not relying on fossil fuels.
"At a local level, we are also calling on the Assembly to play their fair share. There isn't currently legislation in the Assembly."
She added: "The ideal outcome would be that there is a legally binding agreement which means that we are transitioning to a fossil free world by 2050, and that governments commit to setting up a fund of £100 billion to tackle climate change by 2020. We are particularly calling on the G8 and G20 to take this seriously."
Christian Aid's Sorley McCaughey, sounded a note of warning at the conference’s level of ambition.
He said: "It's clear that the collective commitment of countries in Paris will not, in itself, put the world on the road to a 2°C warming level, let alone 1.5°C."
"A process must be designed which reviews and scales up national contributions now and into the future."
Mr McCaughey added: "Wealthy, industrialised countries, with the most responsibility for climate change and the greatest capacity to respond, must commit to financing poorer countries, which have done the least to cause global warming, so that they can adapt to climate change and develop in a clean and sustainable manner."
In Paris, world leaders from more than 50 countries will attempt to thrash out a deal that will tackle global warming and encourage a shift towards renewable energy.
The global climate conference begins this morning and is expected to continue until December 11.
James Orr, Friends Of The Earth Northern Ireland director, told the crowd of up to 200 they stood in solidarity with environmental campaigners across the world.
He said: "This event that is happening in Paris is the most decisive event in the history of humanity. Unless we act in 2016 to reverse global warming, we are staring into the face of global genocide."
Stop Climate Chaos, which led the Dublin march, claimed the country was gearing up for an energy "revolution".
Spokesman Oisin Coghlan said: "People are marching because we don't trust our leaders to lead.
"We know the real leaders are the communities on the frontline of the climate crisis and of the energy revolution we need to solve it. Communities resisting land grabs for palm oil plantations in Africa, communities pioneering collective solar energy projects across the world and those organising to keep fossil fuels in the ground.
"Taoiseach Enda Kenny will be among the 150 world leaders meeting in Paris tomorrow and he should be in no doubt that Ireland is mobilising for an energy revolution, one that leaves behind dirty fossil fuels and embraces clean, renewable, community-owned energy."
Events have been staged in more than 70 countries with one of the largest in London.
In Paris, world leaders from more than 50 countries will attempt to thrash out a deal that will tackle global warming and encourage a shift towards renewable energy.
Ciara Kirrane, co-ordinator of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, said the response to their rallies demonstrated the strength and determination of their movement.
She said: "We're delighted so many different groups in Ireland have supported this call for action on climate change - from unions to student societies, NGOs and the public.
"We need everyone, now more than ever, if we are to tackle the climate crisis."
Meanwhile About 100 people were detained in the French capital after a protest seeking a global climate deal turned violent, the city's police chief said.
Police fired numerous rounds of tear gas on protesters who had gathered ahead of critical global warming talks on Monday.
Michel Cadot told reporters that police identified about 200 or 300 people who violated a ban on all protests under the country's state of emergency that was declared after recent terrorist attacks that killed 130 people.
