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Make Polluters Pay.

Help us campaign for proper compensation from the big polluters for the climate damage they have done.

We know that the Government is planning to backtrack on pledges made at previous UN conferences on climate to provide loss and damage funding for countries worst affected by climate chaos and which have done least to cause it.

This is unacceptable, especially as higher income countries have done most to create the greenhouse gases which are heating the planet.

Also, the worst polluters, the fossil fuel companies are not only raking in huge profits but are also heavily subsided (unlike renewable energy sources). Surely it is only fair that they are taxed to provide the funding needed?

You can real more about subsidies to oil and gas companies here:

The Big 5 fossil fuel companies (Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Shell and TotalEnergies) have played a particularly big role in this, contributing to over 11% of global historic carbon emissions between them. Collectively, they could owe as much as $8 trillion in climate damage to the global south.

These companies reported over $170 billion in profit in 2022 alone

During the Autumn, there are several occasions when we are asked to act.

There are Climate talks in New York 15-17 September, with big demonstrations planned. https://fightfossilfuels.net/

23^rd September is a National Day of Action for Make Polluters Pay. https://makepolluterspay.co.uk/mpp-action-day

From 30/11 to 12/12, the UN Climate Talks, COP28, will be taking place in Dubai, hosted by the United Arab Emirates

For the Portsmouth area, we have decided

To ask as many local groups as possible to support our letter to all the local MPs.
To encourage as many people as possible to write individually to MPs.
To organise a photo-opportunity in Guildhall Square on 15/9 at noon at which we hope lots of groups will be represented. We did this – see picture above.
To send the letter and photo to the press as well as to MPs.
To have a big event in Guildhall Square with stalls, music, speakers and a march during the COP28 talks – this will be on December 9th.

The groups letter we have created is available from havclimate@gmail.com

Could you please get a representative from your group to send a name, role if any and the name of the group which we can add to the letter.

Please send to havclimate@gmail.com by 15^th September.

Protest in Guildhall Square 2022

Featured

COP 28

COP28 (30/11 to 12/12) will take place in Dubai, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, a leading oil and gas producer. And the official chosen to preside over the summit – Sultan Al Jaber – is the chief executive of the country’s national oil company, Adnoc, which is planning a big expansion of production capacity. There is also going to be a huge contingent of fossil fuel companies, which many believe should be banned.

If you want to read a bit more about this issue, see: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/01/leak-uae-presidency-un-climate-summit-oil-gas-emissions-yemen

Pascoe Sabido, at Corporate Europe Observatory and the co-coordinator of the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition of more than 450 organisations, said: “The Cop28 UAE key messages “rip the green façade off of this fossil fuel presidency. Anyone who reads them should have alarm bells ringing.

“The UN climate talks have become an oil and gas industry trade show, not the flagship for climate action. An entire industry has successfully co-opted the process and is leading us in a death spiral to climate catastrophe. How far are we prepared to go to make sure that doesn’t happen?”

In Portsmouth, we plan to have a large demonstration during the COP 28 talks, with speeches, music and a march from Guildhall Square. We’re not sure of the exact day of national action yet but will publicise it soon.

Fairtrade tea-tasting

Brew it Fair – organise a tea-tasting

Tea is the world’s most popular drink apart from water – in Britain alone we drink over 100 million cups of tea every day.

But right now, too little of the money in the industry goes back to the people who grow and pick our tea. As tea drinkers we have become used to paying very little, with an average tea bag today costing just two or three pence, while the cost to grow and pick our tea is increasing. We want more people to know about this and to call on the government and tea companies to pay workers more and demand human rights.

Find out more on the Fairtrade Forum website

A tea tasting is easy to arrange. Just get a selection of six or so different Fairtrade teas and let people decide which they prefer.

You can:

Show the film about Fairtrade tea producers

Do our Fairtrade tea quiz. We have given all the answers of=n the page as theidea is to read it out to your guests. This is a link to the score sheet.

If you’d like help. Penny Chinery from the Cooperative group is happy to being along a selection of teas and take you through the tea-tasting.

Penny Chinery

Member Engagement Activator East Hampshire & West Sussex

07779543836

Twitter: @penchinny

Facebook: @Penelope Chinery

Instagram: @penelopechinery

COP 30

The crucial climate talks are taking place from 10-21 Nov s in Belem, Brazil, a country known for its vast rainforests and vibrant social movements. Key themes this year include protecting forests and indigenous people as well as getting commitments from countries to cut emissions and come up with the funding needed to tackle climate change and protect those most affected.

There are plans for action around the world on Saturday 15^th November including a rally in Portsmouth. Do join us if you can

On te previous day, e have a banner-making workshop

Let us know if you are coming to make placards

See our list of hopes here

Find out more on the Climate Justice Coalition website

You can find their full list of demands here

See the Facebook event for the local rally

Fairtrade Fortnight 2025

Fairtrade Fortnight 22 September to 5 October 2025

We really hope that you’ll want to get involved with Fairtrade Fortnight. There are ideas and links to great resources here https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get-involved/current-campaigns/fairtrade-fortnight/

Together, our actions can have a positive impact on real people’s lives. Fairer pay, fairer treatment, fairer futures – that’s Fairtrade. For instance, you could check out the Brew It Fair campaign and sign the petition to get better conditions for workers on tea plantations.

You could still organise a tea-tasting to get the message across. See how to do it here

So, whatever you do, and however you do it, we’re asking: Do it Fair.

For over 30 years Fairtrade has been supporting over 2 million Fairtrade farmers and workers across 58 countries to ensure they can earn a fairer wage and extra money to spend in their community. It’s also about tackling the effects of a changing climate, giving more power to women and protecting the environment.

Despite successes over the last 30 years, our global food system still isn’t fair. Farmers are part of a chain in which power is unfairly distributed. They are frequently forced to sell their crops for less money than they cost to grow. The climate crisis is making conditions even more challenging for farmers.

We hope that as many people as possible will publicise and use Fairtrade products. Could you organise a Fairtrade coffee morning? Hold a tea tasting, promoting the current Brew It Fair campaign? Show a film? Or just put a few items with the Fairtrade Mark into your shopping trolley

You can find our contact details and fuller information about our events on our Campaign Exchange page for Havant or for Portsmouth Fairtrade Forum or our Facebook group Fairtrade SE Hants.

Here are our local events

Havant Fairtrade Fortnight events

Tuesday 23 September, 10.30am – 12pm : Fairtrade Coffee Morning, The Peace Centre, 15 Middle Park Way, PO9 4AB

Sunday 28th September Fairtrade breakfast 10am St Wilfred’s Church, Padnell Road PO8 8DZ. All welcome. Free

Tuesday 30 September, 10am -12pm : “Brew it Fair” Tea Party, Co-op Funeralcare, 28a North Street Havant, PO9 1PT

Saturday 4 October, 10am – 12pm : Fairtrade Coffee Morning, St Faith’s Church, West St, Havant PO9 1EH

Portsmouth Fairtrade events

Thursday 25th September Tea -tasting with Chat over Chai 12-2 at the Havelock Centre

Sun 28/9 2 pm Church of the Resurrection Come & Sing your favourite hymns about creation and harvest. Fairtrade tea and Quiz

Friday 3rd October A Fairtrade stall in the Cascades Shopping Centre from 9.00 with chocolate and bananas to try.
Sun October 5th FT display of goods and giving away samples of chocolate and tomatoes at St. Judes Church Southsea.

A tea part and tea quiz at Milton URC

Sunday 5th October A Fairtrade breakfast at the Anglican Cathedral .This is after the 8 am, 9.30 and 11.00 services.

Posters around the City

Talks to community and faith groups

Tuesday 21st October Fairtrade supper Cosham Baptist Church 7.30-9.30 See here for more details

Thursday 28th October Fairtrade wine-tasting at Cathedral House. Old Portsmouth. See here for more details and to book a ticket

Portsmouth Fairtrade 2024

2024 has been a memorable year for us. We celebrated our 20 years as a Fairtrade City and also commemorated 30 years of the Fairtrade Foundation.

The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Councillor Tom Coles, invited people who had been involved with Fairtrade to a Civic reception in the Lord Mayor’s parlour on 5th March. This was a great opportunity to catch up with friends and celebrate what we have been doing over the 20 years since received our award. We produced an album of photographs showing some of the activities we had been involved with. We were able to reuse our banner from 2014; Sue Ward baked a cake for us; Christine went to huge lengths to put different Fairtrade flowers together for me and we presented a gift to Jane Singh to thank her for her invaluable support.
We also handed our new Fairtrade community certificate to the Lord Mayor at this event and we were delighted to welcome Stefan Donnelly from the Fairtrade Foundation to our reception.

Jane Singh had persuaded her son Ben to produce a special handout for us (which linked to the 50 ideas for action) as well as a video which was displayed (surprisingly often) on the Big Screen in Guildhall Square.

Jane also arranged for A1 posters to be displayed at 10 sites around the city, both during our anniversary celebration and again during Fairtrade Fortnight.

On 19/3 Sue J and Christine attended the full council meeting. We had asked Cllrs Hugh Mason and Suzy Horton to propose and second a motion of support for Fairtrade and Christine did a powerful deputation to the council asking them to reassert their support. This was passed unanimously and the Lord Mayor said he would be happy to help us and wear a banana suit.

We took a Fairtrade stall to a Stand Up to Racism event at the Discovery Centre on 8/4.

The leader of the council, Councillors Steve Pitt and Suzy Horton suggested that our group should be considered for a civic award. We were invited to the Mayor-Making in the Guildhall on May 14th at which we received a certificate and badge, a real honour for our group.

Fairtrade Fortnight was moved to September this year so after the reception, we began to think about what we might do including an exhibition in the Central library. We also wanted to set up a stall in Cascades and to hold a special service. And most importantly, we wanted to get the information out to as many local groups as possible to try and revive their interest and get them to take some action during Fairtrade Fortnight. So, we spent a lot of time on mailings to churches, schools, Churches Together groups, PCC staff etc We got some good publicity out, particularly articles in the Diocesan newsletters. We held a special meeting with a range of Fairtrade supporters around SE Hants and got some good ideas on getting publicity out to different groups. We continued to use our website and Facebook page.

Jane had arranged to do a PCC stall at the Victorious Festival and we managed to get a supply of chocolate from Tony’s Chocoloney and bananas from Primafruit. Jane did a great job of getting children to colour in pictures and submitted the video her son had done to play to the whole audience.

Our main events during Fairtrade Fortnight were the exhibition in the Central library which Christine put together with help from Penny Chinery from the Co-op Group. It was to convey the story of Fairtrade In Portsmouth since 2002 and also the story of the Fairtrade Foundation. This generated some potentially useful conversations. As well as archive material, we used some posters designed by Sarah Hirom from the Gosport group.

Then we had a successful day in Cascades, again with chocolate and bananas to give out as well as leaflets designed by Ben. This generated a lot of interest. The former Lord Mayor kept his promise and accompanied us dressed as a banana. We had help from Penny Chinery of the Coop Group.

We held a special service at St Mary’s church on 8/9 with Councillor Hugh Mason explaining the importance of Fairtrade. We were grateful to Fr Bob White and the organist Brian Moles as well as to Sue W for delicious refreshments.

Sue Ward managed once again to organise a successful Fairtrade breakfast at St Thomas’s cathedral. This generated about £250, of which £200 was donated to the Fairtrade Foundation.
Miriam organised events in Drayton and Clare at St Jude’s Church.

Future ideas
We needed to build on the obvious links between Fairtrade and Climate and advertise the fact that support for Fairtrade is a requirement for Eco Church status.
Making contact with Muslim groups. Jim Graham had kindly got his son-in-law to produce copies of the FTF’s leaflet FT Mosques: Start Your Journey and Christine had made a start on contacting local mosques and Muslim friends.
Publicising Fairtrade projects at stages through the year
Asking local MPs to pledge support for Fairtrade
Getting churches and schools to recommit and to sign up on the national map

The Fossil Fuel Treaty

What is the Fossil Fuel Treaty?

A growing global movement, spearheaded by governments in the global south, for a much-needed Fossil Fuel Treaty. The treaty would provide a framework for keeping global heating within 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the target world leaders agreed in 2015 as necessary for preventing runaway climate change.

It would create a fast path to a fair global phase out of fossil fuels, which would stop fossil fuel expansion in its tracks and ensure a globally just transition to clean energy. The Fossil Fuel Treaty would create a global framework for the phase out, with three pillars. Signatories would agree to:

Big oil has brainwashed us all into reducing the use of fossil fuels, whilst its CEOs keep making millions from producing them. The main formal space the global movement has to fight back in is the annual UN COP, (this year COP29 in Azerbaijan) where decisive action is constantly diluted by an ever-growing delegation of fossil fuel lobbyists.

It has taken nearly 30 years for the UN to name fossil fuels as a problem. COP is still hugely important, but we need a plan that can work more quickly than it can, and is not already tainted by corporate capture. We need a proposal to tackle the fossil fuel industry head on, create a mandate to dismantle polluting business models, and end the fossil fuel era, once and for all.

What you can do.

Call for action now. Demanding a Fossil Fuel Treaty is one of key demands at the day of action during the COP 29 Climate talks in Azerbaijan. Join us for our protests on November 16th, starting in Guildhall Square at 11am

Find out more. You can find out more and see the growing support around the world on the Fossil Fuel Treaty organisation website

Global Justice Now have lots of resources, aimed at different groups

Sign the petition Global Justice Now is calling on the Government to support the treaty so do sign and share this petition

COP 29

In November, world leaders will gather in Baku, Azerbaijan for the 29th COP climate summit. We cannot simply wait for them to solve the urgent challenges we face. Now is the time to campaign for climate justice at community level and bring the critical issues into focus.

We will come together on 16th November in an international co-ordinated day of action

To sound the alarm! The public need to be aware that climate breakdown is not a thing of the future – it’s happening now
To connect the dots between climate change, inequality and war
To demand meaningful climate action that incorporates social justice and collective liberation
To show the importance of community and the power of collective action.

All forms of oppression are intertwined, and achieving equitable solutions for climate change requires collective action that addresses issues related to economic, racial, gender, social, health justice, and workers’ rights.

We welcome everyone to join us on 16th November! We will be gathering at various points around Portsmouth with the Portsmouth Climate Choir. Our plan is to gather in Guildhall Square at 11 am, hear some songs and a couple of short talks, then move on to Commercial Road for about 11.30 to join with the Palestine Solidarity protestors outside Barclays Bank. Then we’ll move on to Cascades about 12.15 and sing there

You could also help make placards and banners for the event at this session, organised by Turning Tides on 9th November. Please let us know you are coming. If you can bring card and sticks, that would be great.

To find out more see the Climate Justice Coalition site . They are asking us to share a petition. Please sign and share as mauch as you can. You can see it here.

Our demands

No new fossil fuels — no new finance public or private, no new approvals, licenses, permits, or extensions. The provision of sufficient, consensual climate funding to realise this commitment everywhere.

A rapid, just and equitable phase out of existing infrastructure in line with the 1.5C temperature limit and a global plan, like a Fossil Fuel Treaty, to ensure that each country does its part.

New commitments for international cooperation to drastically scale up climate finance delivery and technology transfers to ensure renewable energy access, economic diversification plans, and Just Transition processes so that every country and community can phase out fossil fuels.

Stop greenwashing and claiming that offsets, CCS or geo-engineering are solutions to the climate crisis.

Hold polluters responsible for the damage they’ve caused and make sure it’s coal, oil, and gas corporations that pay reparations for climate loss and damage and for local rehabilitation, remediation and transition.

End fossil fuel corporate capture. No to corporations writing the rules of climate action, bankrolling climate talks or undermining the global response to climate change.

End the genocide in Gaza now

Fairtrade Fortnight 2024

Fairtrade Fortnight 2024 – Be the Change

This year we are celebrating 30 years of the Fairtrade Mark in Britain This means 30 years of farmers using the power of Fairtrade to drive positive change in their communities.

So, we’re expecting an extra special Fairtrade Fortnight from 9^th to 22^nd September.

The theme is Be the Change, spotlighting how YOU can Be the Change, by choosing Fairtrade every time.

Our goal is more than people just being aware, it’s about them encouraging an active choice to support over 2 million Fairtrade farmers and workers across 58 countries, wherever possible, to ensure they can earn a fairer wage.

We’d like to see lots of organisations around SE Hants getting involved. It’s not too early to start planning! There are lots of ideas here and you can download all the 2024 resources here

You can also download the 30th anniversary report, ‘Growing Our Movement For Change,’ which contains the most recent information on the impact of decades of work to achieve fairer prices.

Since Fairtrade certified products first hit the supermarket shelves, Fairtrade has not only pioneered a unique, more equitable way of doing trade – and shown how it makes a tangible difference – it has become the world’s most recognised and trusted ethical label.

Despite this success, our global food system still isn’t fair. Farmers are part of a chain in which power is unfairly distributed. They are frequently forced to sell their crops for less money than they cost to grow. The climate crisis is making conditions more and more challenging for farmers.

So, let’s spread the word, support Fairtrade producers and call for trade justice.

The Future is Fair

It’s a simple message: choose Fairtrade now and help save our favourite foods. More of us choosing Fairtrade means extra income, power, and support for those communities, as they work to build sustainable and prosperous futures.

Fairtrade Fortnight in the Portsmouth area

We do have plenty of plans for Portsmouth but let us know if you can add anything to this list:

An exhibition in the Central Library from Saturday 7th September for 2 weeks

A Fairtrade service at St Mary’s Church Portsea on Sunday 8th September at 4 pm with preacher Cllr Hugh Mason and Fairtrade refreshments. More details here

A Fairtrade stall in the Cascades Shopping Centre on Thursday 19th September with chocolate and bananas to try.

A Fairtrade breakfast at the Anglican Cathedral on Sunday 15th September This is after the 8 am, 9.30 and 11.00 services.

Posters around the City

Talks to community and faith groups

2. SPREAD THE WORD

We need action taking place in every part of the country to spread the word about the power of Fairtrade. Whether it’s a coffee morning, a quiz night, social media post or something completely different, we look forward to hearing more about what’s going on in your area. Visit our Resource Library for more tools and ideas on how to spread the word.

3. BUY FAIRTRADE

Choosing Fairtrade now can help save the future of our favourite foods. You can find out all about different Fairtrade commodities on our Buying Fairtrade pages – you might be surprised!

During Fairtrade Fortnight, there will be a number of exciting activities – sign up to the newsletter to be the first to hear.

Pharmanomics

Pharmanomics – How Big Pharma Destroys Global Health

Join us for the launch of Pharmanomics, the new book by Global Justice Now’s Director, Nick Dearden.

It’s on Thursday 2 November, 7pm – 8.30 at The Cathedral Discovery Centre, Bishop Crispian Way, Portsmouth PO1 3QA

To book a free place

In Pharmanomics, Global Justice Now director Nick Dearden digs down into the way we produce our medicines and finds that Big Pharma is failing us, with catastrophic consequences.

The big pharmaceutical firms are more interested in profit than health. This was made clear as governments rushed to produce vaccines during the Covid pandemic. Behind the much-trumpeted scientific breakthroughs, major companies found new ways of gouging billions from governments in the West while abandoning the Global South. But this is only the latest episode in a long history of financialising medicine – from Purdue’s rapacious marketing of highly addictive OxyContin, through Martin Shkreli’s hiking the price of a lifesaving drug, to the 4.5 million South Africans needlessly deprived of HIV/AIDS medication.

Since the 1990s, Big Pharma has gone out of its way to protect its property through the patent system. As a result, the business has focused not on researching new medicines but on building monopolies. This system has helped restructure our economy away from invention and production in order to benefit financial markets. It has fundamentally reshaped the relationship between richer and poorer countries, as the access to new medicines and the permission to manufacture them is ruthlessly policed. In response, Dearden offers a pathway to a fairer, safer system for all.

Find out more about the campaign here

Nick Dearden’s book is about the structural foundations of a global market in life-saving medicines. A market dependent on taxpayer subsidies, but designed to strip both rich and poor governments of the power to improve health. An essential read for those that care about saving lives, and that want the system changed.
— Ann Pettifor, author of A Case for the Green New Deal

Pharmanomics brings together detailed investigative research with lessons from the frontlines of the fight for access to medicines. It exposes a global apartheid in which a few mostly white male Pharma bosses make billions while billions of people are left without essential medicines. It exposes how the problem of medical monopolies is not a few rule-breakers but the rules themselves. Most crucially, it shows how the system which put profits over people’s lives was man-made, and how through collective action people can unmake it, for everyone’s health.
— Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director and United Nations Under-Secretary-General