Press release via email. Morgan Goodwin is liveblogging at It’s Getting Hot in Here.

Washington, DC – A dozen young people are staging a ’sit-in’ at the US State Department to demand that President Obama and world leaders at climate talks in Copenhagen produce a global treaty that will avert climate catastrophe.

“We’re not leaving until we get a fair, ambitious and legally binding treaty from our representatives in Copenhagen,” said Kim Huynh, one of the protesters.

“Already 300,000 people are year are dying because of the effects of climate change, many more are seeing their futures destroyed. We need a real climate deal that will help ensure the survival of vulnerable people and nations and prevent climate disasters at home,” she added.

While occupying the main hall of the State Department, the youth are reading out names of 12 million people around the world who are calling for a strong new international climate treaty. The names come from a petition coordinated by the TckTckTck campaign — a broad alliance of faith and youth groups, trade unions and major development and environmental organizations.

The DC sit-in follows a similar event in Copenhagen yesterday when youth sat in the main hall in at the UN climate summit reading out the lists of names. Canadian activists staged a simultaneous sit-in at Prime Minster Steven Harper’s office.

Participants are calling on youth within the United States and worldwide to stage further sit-ins at strategic locations on Friday when President Obama will join over 100 heads of state in Copenhagen for the final day of the climate summit.

“Copenhagen is a pivotal moment for our generation.” said Julie Erickson, another protester. “We need a Real Climate Deal. We cannot allow our leaders to fail us with collapse or a sham agreement. And if they refuse to hear our calls for action, then we must make them listen.”

“So far, the talks have been mired by conflict and low ambition from the United States and other countries. We welcome today’s announcement from Secretary Clinton to a global fund of $100bn in climate finance – but the US still has huge distance to travel on other areas, especially our short-term emissions reductions,” said Erickson.

“As Barack Obama prepares to leave for Copenhagen, he holds the fate of the world in his hands,” said Erickson. “He has the power to unlock a deal with countries like China and India by laying real climate finance numbers on the table.”