Protestors will call on the council to help reduce the risk of “catastrophic” long-term changes to global weather by declaring a ‘climate emergency’.

Extinction Rebellion will stage a demonstration outside Enfield Civic Centre in July to urge the council to “recognise the urgency of the climate crisis”.

The group, which has held a series of protests that have disrupted travel across London and other cities, wants the council to show it is committed to a climate policy that meets the needs of residents.

This includes providing healthier travel options, infrastructure to encourage walking and cycling, sustainable housing development and clean-air zones.

It also wants the borough to become carbon neutral by 2025 and divest council funds from fossil fuels with immediate effect.

A UN report published in 2018 warned the risk of catastrophic climate change – including extreme heat, drought, flooding and climate-related poverty – would rise significantly unless global warming was limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Haringey, Waltham Forest and 83 other local authorities in the UK have declared climate emergencies.

Enfield Council has already built several major cycle lanes to reduce car use and improve air quality, and it is working to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings it owns.

Since 2011, the local authority has reduced its carbon footprint by 45 per cent, exceeding its carbon reduction target three years early.

The council invests around £18 million in fossil fuel firms and follows guidance from the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) on pension investments.

The LAPFF recently issued a policy framework to help member funds approach the investment implications of climate change.

Labour councillor for Chase ward Cllr Vikki Pite has tabled a motion to declare a climate emergency at previous full council meetings, but it has not yet been debated.

The Extinction Rebellion protest will take place at the Civic Centre  on Wednesday, July 10 at 6pm before the full council meets at 7pm.

Cllr Pite said she had tabled the climate emergency motion for the July 10 meeting.

Extinction Rebellion will also hold a free public talk, ‘Heading for extinction and what to do about it’, at the Friends’ Meeting House in Church Hill, Winchmore Hill on Saturday, June 29 from 2pm to 4pm.

Further information about the talk and the demonstration will be available at stalls in Palmers Green on Saturday, June 29 from 11am to 12pm and at Edmonton Station on Tuesday, July 2 from 5.30 to 7pm and Saturday, July 6 from 11am to 12.30pm.

A petition calling on the council to declare a climate emergency is available

here.