STUDENTS from Herefordshire's schools will be amongst those taking part in a global day of action to combat climate change.

Students from across Herefordshire are set to join the international Fridays for Future movement, which started in August of last year, when Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg held a three-week solo protest outside Sweden's parliament.

Her protest, designed to raise awareness of the urgent need to take action on climate change, has rapidly gained a global following.

Meeting at 10am at the Cathedral Close on March 15, Herefordshire students will be asking all local town and parish councils to declare climate change an urgent priority.

They will also demand that the government take urgent and radical action and put an end to inertia and inaction on climate change.

"By the time we are old enough to make real change, it will be too late," said Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat school pupil Ollie Wenyon.

"We have the solutions, but society is built on burning fossil fuels," added 11-year-old St James pupil, Dylan More.

"Society has to change."

And the call for climate change to be recognised and addressed is growing in the county.

Herefordshire Council are set to consider a motion on climate change on March 8, following pressure from local activists and councillors from It's Our County and the Green Party.

Activists from climate change campaign group Extinction Rebellion will hold a demonstration outside the Shire Hall on the day of the debate.

They hope to urge all councillors to vote in favour of the motion, which calls for the council to declare a "climate emergency", to work towards being carbon neutral by 2030, to encourage carbon reduction in the county and to provide resources for officers to monitor and report on the county's carbon reduction commitments.

Herefordshire Extinction Rebellion spokesperson Kate Bull said: "The council has already taken much positive action to combat climate change, but we now know we are facing an unprecedented climate emergency.

"We're asking the council to acknowledge this and to step up its response with renewed urgency."

For more information about the school strike, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/983362828529490/