Two Conservative politicians have questioned the recent climate change protests in which school children have taken days off school to demonstrate against global warming.

Abergavenny pupils joined a global strike last Friday to demand politicians take their futures seriously and take urgent action to address climate change.

Throngs of young people assembled outside Abergavenny’s market hall on Friday afternoon, before looping through the town centre, brandishing placards urging action on global warming.

Hundreds of pupils from the surrounding areas spent an hour calling on their local councillors to commit to zero emissions by 2030.

They have previously asked David Davies MP to confirm that he is would use his political will to ensure ‘radical action’ is taken to address what they called a ‘growing crisis’.

In response, the Conservative MP for Monmouth said the drastic action demanded by the protestors would cripple the country whilst having a negligible effect overall.

“Students would be better off staying in school and learning about the complexities of climate science. Many of the student wanting CO2 reductions would do well to consider how often they and their fellow students travel in by car and how often their school organises foreign trips which involve travel by plane. Mr Davies outlined that the Conservative party, under Environment Secretary Michael Gove, has made the environment a serious policy concern.

“The government is committed now to reducing CO2 emissions over manageable period but some of the climate change activists are going much further, demanding that we immediately give up travelling by cars or planes and eating meat. This would destroy jobs and lead to dramatic plunge in living standards. It would have virtually impact on global carbon emissions since Britain only emits one percent of the world’s total.”

Monmouthshire County Council recently declared a climate emergency and committed to prioritising strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

Councillor Richard John, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said, “I agree that politicians of all levels must do more to tackle climate change and ensure that our way of life has a minimal impact on the wellbeing of the natural world.

“We will continue to take steps to reduce the county’s carbon footprint by extending electric car charging infrastructure, driving up recycling levels and promoting healthier lifestyles through active travel.

“I am pleased to see that young people in Monmouthshire are ethical and informed citizens, rightly concerned about the impact modern living is having on our natural environment.

“However, I do not support school pupils being encouraged to truant, however principled their intention, at a time when major examinations are taking place.

“I urge pupils to consider other ways to lobby decision-makers and express their views without disrupting their education.”