A new coalition of leading UK environmental and social justice groups, convened by Oxfam and nef (the new economics foundation) and including Friends of the Earth and the Royal College of Nursing, says the government cannot choose between tackling poverty and climate change; it must begin to tackle these related issues together and it must take action now.
One in five people in the UK still live in poverty, often without enough money to heat their homes or to eat healthily. This report shows that the poorest people in the UK will be most affected by the effects of climate change. They tend to live in poorer housing, have poorer health, less access to home insurance, and less money to adapt to price rises. Their situation could be worsened by measures to combat climate change such as higher taxation on fossil fuels.
The message from the coalition is clear: now, more than ever, government can - and must - tackle poverty and climate change. If not, the poorest people, both in the UK and around the world, will pay the price.