Thousands turned out for a climate change rally on Vancouver's Cambie Street Bridge Saturday afternoon.

The purpose of the event was to call on government leaders to fight global warming, and coincided with the International Day of Climate Action.

Participants, some dressed in colourful costumes, waved placards and unfurled banners that read "Global Warming Is Not Cool," "Trains Not Lanes," and "Protect Our Forests."

"If you care about global warming, it can seem overwhelming - we're all busy - but together we can make a difference," one participant told CTV News. "Together we have the power to actually influence what government does."

Some participants urged the federal government to be a strong leader during the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen this December and to commit to a more aggressive policy on reducing carbon emissions.

There were 4,000 events scheduled in 169 countries as part of the International Day of Climate Action.

Canada had the second largest number of events worldwide, behind the United States.

The events were organized by www.350.org, a group dedicated to reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air to 350 parts per million.

The events kicked off in Australia, where people formed a large '350' with their bodies in front of the famous Sydney opera house and held placards with the number on Bondi Beach.

With files from CTV British Columbia's David Kincaid and The Canadian Press