Most of us now accept that climate change is here to stay and that we must act to curb it. In the South West, for example, temperature records for Exmouth show that the last decade was the warmest on record.

Sea-level rise could be higher here than in any other region, mean sea level is rising, by 15cm at Newlyn in Cornwall since 1915, and by 8cm at Devonport.

The average person in the South West contributes about 8.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. To avoid more than the 2°C rise in temperature that climate scientists tell us we must not exceed, we need to reduce it to about four tonnes per person.

This isn't just a "luxury" choice for affluent people that we can discard now that we face a recession. We cannot afford to choose between tackling poverty or climate change.

Climate change will hit the poorest first and worst, in this country and overseas, even though they have done the least to cause it. Effects such as flooding and health problems will affect poor people everywhere much more.

The good news is that adapting to climate change presents a huge opportunity to tackle poverty and social exclusion, too.

In the South West we have a large skills base in the new "green business" sector, and more than 200 local community organisations working on grass-roots projects, from local food growing to car sharing.

Simple changes such as better insulation can mean a cut in carbon emissions at the same time as delivering more affordable heating for people on low incomes.

Greener workplaces are more economical to run and low-carbon public transport also means better mobility for people with no car.

If readers want to take action, they could encourage West employers, local authorities and businesses to go green to help us build not only a stronger economy for the future, but a better standard of living for all.

Roger James Hannah Durrant Campaigners Oxfam South West