Climate Change Action Day: Australians Protest Coalition's Carbon Tax Repeal (VIDEO)

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Despite the rain and cold weather, tens of thousands of Australians attended climate change rallies across the country to urge Prime Minister Tony Abbott to retain the carbon tax.

The Australian Labour Party and Greens politicians, together with environmental groups and volunteer firefighters took turns to criticise the Coalition government at the Climate Action Day, one of the largest rallies in support of climate change action.

The Coalition government has long planned on repealing carbon pricing. An estimated 25,000 people gathered on Nov. 17 for Climate Action Day, according to Labour's environment spokesman, Mark Butler. Mr Butler said the climate change rallies only strengthened the opposition's stand to block the repeal of carbon pricing.

He said that when it comes to climate change, Australia has an atmosphere of scepticism compared with other countries.

Greens' deputy leader Adam Bandt said what Australia needs is a "Churchhill rather than a Chamberlain" on the issue of climate change. The Climate Commission head Tim Flannery urged Australians to participate in every effort to slow down the consumption of fossil fuels. Prime Minister Abbott has abolished the commission along with the removal of Tim Flannery.

In Sydney, around 10,000 people attended the climate change rally based on the tally by Tanya Plibersek, a Labour deputy leader. Brisbane's rally had 5,000 people. Event organisers said more than 130 climate change rallies were also being held in Australia's capital cities and towns.

Meanwhile, an analysis of the Coalition government's direct action climate change policy in Australia suggests that the country will see a substantial increase in carbon emissions by 2020.

According to a Climate Action Tracker policy brief, the Australian Labour Party's emissions trading scheme would have enabled the country to reduce emissions by 5 per cent on 2000 levels. Based on current data, Prime Minister Tony Abbott's direct action policy will reportedly not meet the Kyoto target.

The policy brief states Mr Abbott's government's proposed direct action programme does not have the resources to meet the reduction goal of 5 per cent.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has declared 2013 as among the top 10 warmest years on record since 1850. The rising sea levels due to climate change have aggravated the effect of strong cyclones like Typhoon Haiyan that left the Philippines overwhelmed and under a state of calamity.