Climate change has already led to rising temperatures which cause droughts. floods and diseases among the world's poorest people and will affect our grandchildren and great grandchildren unless urgent action is taken to cut emissions.

In just 30 days, crucial climate change talks are taking place in Copenhagen that could save or take away the lives and livelihoods of millions of people.

It is vital that the UK Government commits to a real cut in CO2 emissions of at least 40% by 2020, in addition to supporting developing countries moves towards low carbon development.

As part of "The Great Persuasion", millions of people across the world lobbied their politicians on poverty and climate change in October. I wrote to the Prime Minister, spoke with local M.P., Dr Julian Lewis, Conservative, and withe the Liberal Democrat candidate, Col Terry Scriven.

In his reply, the Prime Minister pointed out that his Government was the first in the world to establish binding CO2 reduction targets through the Climate Change Act which commits the UK to carbon savings of 34% by 2020 and at least 80% by 2050. In Copenhagen he will be seeking a comprehensive agreement on binding targets on emissions and a strengthening of international cooperation to develop and share the technologies needed to enable developing countries to tackle climate change and move to low carbon development: for the latter purpose he has proposed an international fund of $100 billion a year by 2020.

The Conservative spokesman Greg Clark, speaking in Parliament on 5 November said "For more than 20 years Britain has had a reord of leadersip on climate change. Everyone at Copenhagen should know there is comlete unity of purpose betwwen us on this issue, and that we need to achieve a deal that proves equal to the challenge of climate change. The principles of such a deal are that it must be fair, ambitious and binding on all countries.

The Liberal Democrat aim is a carbon neutral Britain where we absorb as much carbon as we emit by 2050. In Copenhagen they want an international framework that will enable each country to manage a transition to a low carbon economy, help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change and establish a International Leapfrog Fund to invest in low carbon technologies to be shared with developing countries.

The worlds poorest do not have a voice in UK politics, yet their lives often depend on decisions of our representatives. It is up to us to speak up on their behalf.

LOUISE CROLL and other CAFOD supporters on the Waterside