People, planning and action: what we're calling for in Poland

Climate campaigner Charlie Powell explains the outcomes Oxfam wants to see from UN climate negotiations.

After months of preparation, United Nations climate change talks officially got underway yesterday. And while it's likely that many of us started the week scoffing the first chocolate from this year's Advent calendar, there was little time for Christmas-tree-shaped treats for the Oxfam team over in Poland.

As the hustle-and-bustle of international meetings begins, we thought we'd start with a whirlwind look at bare minimum of what we want decision makers to commit to over the coming two weeks.

In rich countries, climate change is often seen as a distant worry, but in poor countries it's a real and present nightmare.

Climate change not only threatens to reverse decades of progress on tackling poverty, but in some countries it's already doing so.

Countries like Vietnam. Where rice crops are being destroyed - driven partly by rising sea levels. Where unpredictable weather means farmers have less time to grow crops, and where typhoons are striking areas that were once typhoon free.

Decision makers must understand that climate change is hitting poor people first and worst.

This year's meetings are the warm up to 2009's all-important Copenhagen summit, which will quite literally be the last chance to forge international agreement. Decision makers must recognise the urgency of the situation and start drawing up concrete plans.

The consequences of in-action read like the script of a Hollywood disaster movie.

Up to 1.8 billion more people affected by water stress, including up to 250 million Africans, and 50 million people in the Andean region as glaciers shrink. Altered monsoon patterns in Asia, leading to increased flooding, affecting hundreds of millions of people.

And that's if we keep global warming below 2ºC. The consequences of anything beyond that border on unimaginable.

Though in some circles, debate about climate change still rumbles on, there is little confusion between the scientists. The numbers, graphs and models all say one thing - climate change is threatening the planet and it's threatening people.

After the nail-biting finish to last year's UN talks, this year the UN must move from discussing the science into full-scale negotiation mode - agreeing how emissions are to be cut and how poor countries will be provided with money to help them adapt.

The next two weeks will certainly be tiring, and decision makers will have their work cut out. But let us hope they can rise to the challenge in front of them.

For news, photos and video from Poland as it happens, read the latest from the Oxfam team's blog.