General Election 2019: Candidates for Portsmouth South to be quizzed on climate change at green-centric hustings

The Portsmouth Climate Alliance has organised a question and answer session for candidates hoping to win a seat in Portsmouth South.

Hopeful politicians will be grilled on solutions to what the alliance, which is made up of various groups in the city including Friends of the Earth, Extinction Rebellion and Greenpeace, fear could have a 'catastrophic outcome.'

Nick Sebley, a co-ordinator for Extinction Rebellion Portsmouth, said: 'We really need to make sure people's attention is on this, this is the real crisis.

'What are people going to be talking about in 20 years time? Brexit or what did we do when we had that opportunity to act?

'The very foundations of the way we live are in peril. It's so much more than climate - it's about public health, food supply, water supply, transport, migration and flooding.

'So this should be at the very heart of our conversation. The longer we continue to create emissions at the rate we are doing, the closer we get to a catastrophic outcome.'

Portsmouth Climate Alliance member, Jonathan Schofield, agreed. 'We have had 30 years of ineffectual action,' he said.

'The time for action is now, we can't delay.

'A climate change board has been set up in Portsmouth this year with a goal to reach net zero emissions by 2030. If we are really serious about that we need significant change.

'We are very keen that this is attended by young voters since it is young people whose futures depend on this.'

It comes as a global climate strike protest is due to take place in Guildhall Square on November 29 between 11am and 2pm.

Mr Sebley hopes to see schoolchildren, workers and trade unions take part. He said: 'The movement started with schoolchildren and now it has broadened. We are continuing to protest because our message and the things we have been asking for haven't been met.'

Candidates from the three main parties have been invited to the hustings that will take place on Saturday, December 7 from 2pm to 4pm at the Priory School in Fawcett Road, in Southsea.

A link to free tickets via Eventbrite will soon be shared on the Portsmouth Climate Alliance's Twitter page @PompeyClimate.