Bishops win changes to Climate Change Bill

The plight of the world's poor already suffering the impact of global warming has been recognised in the Climate Change Bill going through Parliament thanks to the intervention of the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, and the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres.

Following advice from relief and development agencies Tearfund and Christian Aid, the bishops together with Baroness Northover tabled an amendment to ensure that the Committee on Climate Change will include an expert on the social impacts of climate change policy at a national and international level. The committee will advise the Government when the Bill becomes law,

The bishops were concerned that the committee's deliberations on measures needed to tackle climate change could focus too exclusively on the costs involved to British society and business without considering the needs of the developing world.

The principle behind the amendment has been accepted by the Government and will now be included when a revised version of the Bill is published.

During a House of Lords debate on the Bill, Dr Chartres said the committee was charged with not putting undue burdens on UK business or unduly reducing UK competitiveness.

"That is a proper role and object for the committee, but who will make the case for developing countries?" he asked. "Who will make sure that their safety is not risked by an inadequate reduction? There has to be a capacity to put that case strongly within the committee."

Bishop Jones, who is also Vice President of Tearfund, welcomed the Committee on Climate Change's decision to an expert on climate science but added that someone with expertise in international development would bring the "human experience" of the impact of climate change.

"The tragedy of the present situation of global warming is that the poor in developing countries are already feeling and suffering disastrously from the effects of climate change. They do not, however, have the power to do anything about it," he said.

"Those of us who possess the power do not as yet feel the full impact of our actions and have therefore been slow to bring in the necessary measures."

Having on the committee an expert in international development will "ensure that the voice of the poor and the plight of the powerless are heard and seen at the heart of Government and, most importantly, will underline the urgency which is still lacking in the popular mood", he said.

Both Tearfund and Christian Aid have offered their expertise to advise the Committee on Climate Change.

The Climate Change Bill, the first such piece of legislation in the world, will set Government targets for cuts in UK carbon emissions. Campaign groups, including Tearfund and Christian Aid, fear it will not be tough enough and are demanding 80 per cent emission cuts by 2050.

They warn that without drastic measures, temperature rises worldwide will rise above 2°C, triggering widespread climate catastrophe.