Isle of Man climate change protesters have 'already won', says minister

Climate change protesters have "already won the argument" a Manx minister has said.

Activists staged a five-minute "flash-mob die-in" on Tynwald Day to protest what they deemed a "lack of urgency" from the government on the issue.

The group wants the Manx government to reduce carbon emissions to zero.

Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot welcomed the protest but said "there is a lot going on behind the scenes" to address climate change.

In May Chief Minister Howard Quayle declared a climate emergency.

A plan to create a dedicated team that would work to develop an action plan to achieve the target of net zero carbon emissions was also revealed.

The independent chair is due to be announced next week and Mr Boot believed people would be "happy" with the candidate chosen.

However, some protesters believe the government is not doing enough.

Activist Sam Hamer was concerned that "the Isle of Man continues to invest in fossil fuels" and said it was "at odds" with their efforts to combat climate change.

Last month it was revealed that £43m of the government's pension pot was invested in fossil fuels, while it was also confirmed that Douglas Borough Council has £900,000 invested in the industry.

Mr Hamer said the demonstration was an important part of putting "pressure" on Manx politicians.