WINCHESTER Churches Together and local environmentalists hosted a meeting on climate justice.

Guest speaker Kiri Hanks, from Oxfam International, explained that climate change is a crisis driven by the greenhouse gas emissions of the ‘haves’ hitting the ‘have-nots’.

The poorest half of the global population, around 3.5 billion people, are responsible for only around 10 per cent of emissions. Around half of emissions can be attributed to the richest 10 per cent of people around the world.

Chris Holloway, co-director of Winchester Action on Climate Change, told the meeting a county council study found that poorer people are also most vulnerable to the effects of flooding and heat waves.

“People who are less well-off are more likely to live in homes that are poorly insulated, so they suffer when the weather is particularly hot or cold”, she said. “And people who are old, infirm or isolated are most vulnerable in emergencies such as flooding”.

Angela Sealey, Vice-chair of WinACC, who chaired the meeting on Tuesday, said: “As residents of Winchester district, we live in one of the most affluent areas of the UK, which itself is one of the most affluent countries in the world. So we have a very real opportunity - and an obligation - to do more than others to make the world safer through our actions”.

Asked how people in Winchester should respond, “Lobby, lobby, lobby” was the verdict of the meeting.

Writing to your MP is important. “MPs really do take notice of their postbags and in-boxes”, Ms Sealey added.

Climate activists at the meeting pledged to ask politicians what their party will do about climate change whenever they are canvassed about the coming local elections.

Lobbying can influence business too. “Vote with your wallet” urged Sarah Cramoysan, from Kings Worthy, who has volunteered at the Winchester Oxfam shop for eight years.

“Shop at Oxfam. Or choose to shop from ethical companies, and lobby big companies to cut their carbon footprint.”

The meeting was also organised by the Winchester branch of Friends of the Earth.

To add your name to national and international petitions and lobbies on climate change, go to the “National and Global - Have Your Say” section of the WinACC website (WinACC.org.uk) or look out for links in WinACC News, which you can also sign up to on the front page of their website.