Our climate debt campaign goes to Eastleigh - Chris Huhne's constituency

Aamina Ahmad, used to be campaigns and policy intern

Last week Sarah Reader and I ventured down to Barton Peveril College, Eastleigh - in energy and climate change minister Chris Huhne's constituency - to talk about our climate justice campaign.

Chris Huhne will be taking part in the upcoming UN climate negotiations in South Africa and we are keen to make contact with people in his constituency who can lobby him over his view that the UK's climate finance should be given as loans through the undemocratic World Bank. The World Bank has a long history of funding projects which are destructive to the environment and one of the aims of our campaign is for UK climate finance being given as grants through the more transparent UN Adaptation Fund instead. In the run up to the climate talks it is necessary that we increase the pressure on Chris Huhne.

We spoke to a group of sixth-form students and at first I was slightly perplexed over how to engage 16-18 year olds in the campaign. But I had underestimated the ‘alternative’ kids who were really responsive to us and willfully signed their message to Chris Hune onto paper chains. 

Most encouraging were the networks we established with other stall holders, many who wanted to hear more about WDM and our upcoming speakers tour with South African activists which will come to Eastleigh on 12 October. The tour will be a great way to hear about the South African civil soceity response to the UN climate talks, the impact of climate change on Africa and how to take action against the advancement of corporate interests. 

All in all, the college visit was a great way of keeping global injustice on the agenda in Eastleigh. We’ll be back in October at The Point Theatre with guest speakers from South Africa to call for a change from discredited institutions that deepen inequalities.  

Messages to Chris Huhne asking for UK climate finance to be given through the UN Adapation Fund rather than the World Bank