Climate change is real and it's happening now.

The international community has failed to seriously address climate change and this poses a major threat to the lives of people living in poverty.

What will happen if we don't do anything?

The concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are higher now than at any time during the last 420,000 years. If nothing has been done to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 2080 then:

1. The sea will rise 50cm. Twice as many people will be exposed to severe flooding - the majority of these people will live in South and South East Asia.

2. Water shortages will leave 3 billion people in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent desperate for water.

3. Rainfall patterns could be disrupted. This will lead to droughts and floods, which in turn will cause food shortages.

4. Extreme weather conditions will occur more often and more intensely. Countries will be economically devastated and many lives will be lost.

5. Resistance to disease will be weakened because of water shortages, heat and malnutrition. Infectious diseases will be able to spread rapidly.

Why are poor people most vulnerable to climate change?

Between 1990 and 1998 more than 97 per cent of all natural disaster-related deaths were in developing countries.

1. Temporary settlements of poor people are often on unsuitable land - prone to flooding, storms and landslides.

2. Most people in poverty have no savings to fall back on.

3. They are more prone to infectious diseases because of poor diet, healthcare and sanitation.

4. Remote locations and low social status mean that they often do not receive adequate warnings.

5. They have little alternative but to return to disaster-prone areas.

What we're calling for

A commitment to a new climate deal in December 2007 at the UN Climate Change Conference. This deal needs to reduce carbon emissions, put the needs of poorest countries first, and ensure the planet doesn't warm up more than 2 degrees.

We also want the richest nations to pay the majority of the cost of adapting to the effects of climate change in poor countries.

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