In the run up to the G8 summit in Japan, presidents of nine Catholic Bishops’ Conferences have called on G8 nations to honour their commitments to reduce global poverty and tackle climate change.

Targeted aid is getting good results in Africa, but the G8 are falling further behind on meeting their commitments, a new report from the organisation set up by U2 frontman Bono, has said.

The fight against climate change has been marked by broken promises and missed opportunities, say three European bishops in a letter to political leaders gathered at the United Nations-led talks on the Indonesian island of Bali.

Christian Aid will push for a follow-on agreement to the Kyoto Protocol to include large-scale financial support for developing nations from the rich industrialised world at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali starting tomorrow.

Rich countries have utterly reneged on their promise to pay £200 million a year to help poor countries cope with climate change, Christian Aid claims. Had the promise been kept, wealthier countries would have now contributed £584 million.

On the day Tony Blair stood down as British Prime Minister, the relief agency Christian Aid joined many others in applauding his achievements but expressing disappointment at "a job half done" on poverty and development.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told Germany's biggest Protestant gathering that the results of her meeting with leaders from the G8 industrial nations marked a "step forward" - though much remains to be done.

While environment and development groups are generally dissatisfied with the outcome of the G8 summit this week, the pledge to launch climate negotiations in Bali in December 2007 and complete them in 2009 has been welcomed by Christian Aid.

The UK government's efforts to build a coalition to back sustainable development in Africa is being undermined by attempts at the G8 summit to fudge a deal on climate change, says Britsih-based agency Christian Aid.

The USA is preparing to scupper a global deal on slashing greenhouse gas emissions at the G8 summit in Germany, infuriating thousands of protestors who have taken to the streets to put pressure on the world’s rich nations.