The UK and other rich nations must pay billions of pounds to help poorer countries tackle global warming if millions of people around the world are not to be consigned to endless poverty, Christian Aid says in a new report.

Religious leaders representing very diverse faith communities with millions of members across the USA are urging their Congress to take urgent action to assist the poor who are facing the brunt of climate change.

The UK-based international development agency Christian Aid has welcomed the British government’s Climate Change Bill but says it fears that a vital opportunity has been missed. It says that tougher CO2 emission targets are essential.

British Christians concerned with the environment will be invited to put their commitments where their convictions are next weekend, at a conference to be held at Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre.

The religious community's moral imperative to combat climate change and protect those living in poverty has been discussed by an Anglican bishop at a US House of Representatives briefing this week.

More evidence emerged yesterday that opinions amongst Evangelical Christians over climate change have changed significantly in the last couple of years.

Campaigners from Christian Aid yesterday (Tuesday 2 October) published the results of research which shows that most of the UK’s FTSE 100 companies have not committed to targets for absolute reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions.