Mothers march on Esso

Protesters say Esso is "sabotaging" climate talks

A group of mothers and toddlers have marched on Esso's headquarters to protest against its position on global warming.

Organisers say the company is "sabotaging" climate talks and not investing in clean fuel technology.

The five mothers and two men accompanied by five children, who are all from Leatherhead where the company is based, want to "force Esso to protect the future of our children".

The protest coincided with the opening day of negotiations in Bonn, Germany, to review the climate change treaty, known as the Kyoto Protocol.

We too take the risks of climate change very seriously and agree that action is needed now

Letter from Esso

Emily Lewis-Brown, one of the protesters, said: "People are angry at Esso's interference in the political process and their denial of global warming.

"Leatherhead is my home town and we have a responsibility to ourselves and our children to persuade companies like Esso to act responsibly and invest in renewable energy to limit global warming."

Representatives from Esso met the group and talked to them about their concerns over climate change.

Letters handed out

Each parent received a letter from the company explaining its stance.

It said: "We too take the risks of climate change very seriously and agree that action is needed now."

The letter detailed two specific actions by Esso to respond to the problem - the improvement of energy efficiency and the development of "cleaner" fuels.

Of its position regarding the Kyoto Protocol the letter said: "We do not support the protocol because we believe that it is not the right approach, but we do care about the environment and our track record here in Leatherhead, in the UK and globally supports that."