On Friday, hardy members of the Nepalese Government carried out an extraordinary feat of political publicity - they held a cabinet meeting on Mount Everest. In a cunningly-timed effort to raise climate change awareness ahead of Copenhagen's 'COP15' Climate Change Conference, the stunt was an attention-snatching reminder of the sure but steady melting of Himalayan glaciers.

The Everest summit (geddit?) was reminiscent of the underwater cabinet meeting held by Maldives ministers in October. Both events were intended as serious comments on the dangers posed by global warming, but they were also irreverent and visually exciting pieces of PR genius. Intrigued by the creative gestures of influential climate change campaigners, SHN set out to investigate how many stunts, exhibitions and other special events have been stimulated by the run-up to Copenhagen.

First up, conceptual artist Angela Palmer's installation, Ghost Forest, formerly on display in Trafalgar Square, featured several huge African rainforest tree trunks scattered between the stately plinths overlooked by London's iconic statue of Nelson. The combination of limb-like logged stumps and naturally fallen trees were arranged in the simplest way possible, with their complex root systems still visible. The installation has now moved on to Copenhagen itself, where it will stay for the duration of the conference (7th - 18th December). Given the fact that 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by deforestation, the exhibition is an apt visual reminder not just of the direct, physical effects of tree-felling, but the atmospheric consequences also. The political impetus behind Palmer's work is certainly clear, but part of its strength lies in its capacity to be appreciated purely as an aesthetic, artful, statement.

There were other aesthetic statements with a climate change twist on view at the 'Innovating Sustainable Fashion' catwalk show in Copenhagen last Thursday - an event organised by students of the Danish Design School. Special prizes were given out for the examples of climate change chic which best considered usability and impact on the environment.

Returning to the realms of purely political activism, individual campaigns to raise climate change awareness have tried to build on traditional methods such as marches and rallies, both in collective movements and individual endeavour. One Oxfam campaigner, Pushpanath Krishnamurthy, is showing his personal dedication to the cause by walking the journey from Oxford to Copenhagen. He set off last month and you can track his progress or donate via his website.

In terms of self-initiated people power, Saturday was a significant day in Britain, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to join 'The Wave', a series of events and demonstrations in London, Glasgow and Belfast touted as 'the UK's biggest ever climate march.' Yet more people were encouraged to send videos of support in to The Wave's website. On the day of the march in London, the Church showed its commitment with a special climate change service held by Archbishops Rowan Williams and Vincent Nichols. Civilians interpreted the opportunity to march in different ways. There was a protest cycle ride and in the evening some intrepid demonstrators camped out in Trafalgar Square - the location was kept secret until the last minute to avoid being prevented by police.

But at midday on Saturday SHN headed over to a rally in Grosvenor Square in London to see what was up. Around 30,000 people marched from there to the Houses of Parliament, where there was then a co-ordinated collective wave, Mexican-style, at 3pm. Given the doom-heralding consciousness of the climate change movement, I was pleasantly surprised by the positive vibe.

While the reasons for participation were undoubtedly serious, the atmosphere of the march remained unflinchingly upbeat, with carnival-style costumes taking their cue from the central wave theme - mermaids, pirates and blue-painted 'sea' people danced to the music of drums and whistles while others carried banners and placards with memorable slogans like "I love bacon, I hate climate change". As we walked along Piccadilly past the Ritz, shoppers looked on while taxis honked their horns in support.

An excited Ed Miliband en-marche in London

During the rally I spotted Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. When I asked what opportunities are associated with heightened public awareness of global warming he responded by saying:

"If you think about all the positive things that come about by moving to a low carbon economy and society, it's green jobs, wind turbines, solar panels, clean technology.

"Pollution can be reduced by electric cars, better train services and bus services - and we'll have more energy security because low-carbon energy is more likely to be home-grown energy," he added.

The essence of this new phase of environmental awareness, then, is one which focuses on the creative potential of a more conscious and responsible global community. It's obvious that this isn't just good for genuinely passionate climate change campaigners, it's also good for the PR mechanics oiling the wheels of political parties, governments and businesses. Ulterior motives still threaten to undermine progress. One of the questions raised by these protests is 'how can we separate self-promotion from genuine concern for the environment?' Not easy in the age of spin, but it's a question that we need to ask in increasingly serious tones, given continued scepticism among some over the value of this movement. The public is unlikely to be duped by a sham agreement and will readily challenge ineffective 'green' policies that are in reality aimed at continuing business as usual and maximising profit.

That said, the optimism of many climate change protests is inherent and, while it may be exploited to various degrees by some, the apparently boundless stimulation provided by the Copenhagen conference proves how infectious this brand of enthusiasm is in today's international society.

The sheer variety on show in the network of events inspired by one Danish conference is a new sign of the world's growing commitment to the climate issue, and an exciting litmus test of people's creativity in expressing that commitment, too.