COP26 climate change summit is chance to tackle global poverty – Yorkshire Post Letters

THE issues of climate change, world trade and migration are linked (The Yorkshire Post, September 15). Many items are traded around the world so that production can take place in a country where wage costs are a fraction of what would be considered acceptable in this country.

Carbon dioxide emissions from the transport of goods would be reduced if more items were produced locally to the point of sale. This is a complete change from Victorian times when local production was considered normal and almost the entire population lived within walking distance of their workplace. The secondary result of very low pay levels in foreign countries is that their people see the only way of achieving an adequate standard of living being to migrate to countries where wage rates are more generous.

Even in eastern European countries the pay levels appear to be as little as a quarter of British rates. A living wage should be paid in all countries so that adequate health and education services for their people can be provided along with homes which are comfortable as well
as supplies of electricity and water.

At present it appears that nobody is prepared to contemplate such a measure.

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