AA: Well, there are two things he needs to do most urgently. One is actually to ensure that the Climate Bill in Britain really forces us to put our own house in order in Britain to cut our own greenhouse gas emissions year on year so that we achieve the kind of cuts that are needed.
That is really important because although Britain may not be a major greenhouse gas emitter now compared with other countries, historically we have been one of the biggest. The industrial revolution began here. We have to take some responsibility for historical emissions. And unless we do so it's going to be very difficult for Gordon Brown to persuade much bigger countries internationally to do their bit in the future. So, the first thing he has got to do is go for really big cuts in Britain under the Climate Bill.
CT: And you think that will then have a ripple effect across other countries?
AA: I think that is the right thing to do morally. And politically it's vital if he's going to persuade other countries, particularly the United States, to seriously cut their own greenhouse gas emissions.
CT: Going back to the global poverty issue, according to Tearfund, there are still 1.1 billion people without sanitation, 2.6 billion without water. What still needs to be done in these areas?
AA: There are two things really. One is to increase the amount of development assistance, of aid that is going to water, health and so on. And the second thing is to make sure that aid works much more effectively. We've still go the very big problem that much of international aid - not Britain I have to say - is tied to the purchase of products from the country from which it comes.
For example, one country gives $100m, but you've got to spend it on vehicles from that country when in fact the cheapest or best vehicle may not come from there. The Japanese, Italians and Americans are particularly bad at this. We need to increase the amount of aid for those purposes but we've got to make that aid work much more effectively and we would really be looking to Gordon Brown to lead that challenge, particularly within the European Union, to make European aid work much more effectively.
CT: But it's not only governments worldwide that have to work on these issues. Christians also have a responsibility.
AA: Absolutely.
CT: What do you want to see from them? How is Tearfund engaging the church?
AA: I think one of the things we want Christians to do, particularly in Western countries where we have the luxury of democracy and a voice in our political affairs, is to use that voice to the benefit of poor and disadvantaged people. The first thing we are calling on Christians to do is to campaign, to sign up to campaigning with Tearfund or similar organisations, to keep pressure on the governments to do these kinds of things.
But the second thing Christians can do is engage in their own communities. Whether you are a Christian living in a rich country like Britain - where there are still impoverished people around - or whether you are living in a developing country in the midst of poverty, we are calling on Christians to fulfil their God-given role to reach out to the poor and disadvantaged where they are, as well as calling on politicians to play their role in government.
