A YEAR 11 student wants the community to protest together this Friday in a call for all levels of government to take serious action on climate change.
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Finley Japp, a 16-year-old student at Ballarat Grammar, is one of a group of students who have organised a climate strike for the city during a day of global protests.
Climate strikes will be staged across the world on September 20, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to walk out of their workplaces and schools to demand faster action on climate change.
Mr Japp said there was not a lot of activity in taking meaningful action on climate change and so the protests were a way of raising more awareness of the issue.
"I care about the environment," he said. "It is an important part of our identity that we need to protect for ourselves and future generations to live a sustainable life."
Mr Japp has attended previous climate strikes and believes they are increasing the awareness of climate change around the world.
"Five years ago that awareness wasn't there. The protests are putting more pressure on governments to respond. It is keeping the issue in the public image, making governments more aware and holding them responsible.
"We are calling on them to act," he said. "We want them to address the concerns quickly and with more actions. We want to see politics and corporate interests put aside in the interest of a better future."
He said it was looking as though Australia would miss the Paris target by a significant amount and so it was important to continue to push governments to take a stronger stance on climate change.
"It's going to come at a cost eventually, for the most vulnerable in our society and for our children," he said.
Mr Japp encouraged people of all walks of life to attend the climate protest.
"We need everybody's support. It is a crisis that will involve everyone so everyone is invited to come and show their voice."
More than 200 people are expected to take part in the Ballarat protest on Friday.
The protest will do a loop of the central business district, starting at Ballarat Trades Hall at 24 Camp Street.
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