Britain Responsible for 15% of Carbon Output, says Christian Aid

A new Christian Aid report reveals that Britain could be responsible for up to 15 per cent of the total production of greenhouse gases in the world.

According to the Church Times, the charity warned that by "outsourcing" its production of carbon dioxide and its equivalents to developing countries, the UK is condemning millions of poor people to flooding, famine, and disease, while pocketing profits from companies that produce global warming.

The report, Coming Clean: Revealing the UK's true carbon footprint, describes Britain as "scapegoating" other countries for global warming, while paying for their coal-fired power stations or financing the air-freighting of their goods to the UK.

The Prime Minister's claim that the UK produces "only" two per cent of global greenhouse gases ignores the huge investments by Britain in companies trading overseas, it says.

Companies that keep records of carbon emissions record only those generated by their offices in the UK. They ignore emissions from power production, as well as from their global supply chain and the consumption of their products, says Christian Aid.

Taking that into account, FTSE 100 companies traded on the London Stock Exchange are responsible for the equivalent of 3.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide - more than 15 per cent of the total global emissions.

An environmental lawyer, Nick Flynn, told Christian Aid: "Such matters are relevant alongside issues of pure profit."

As carbon emissions become a significant issue, investors need to make informed choices, in case their investment becomes "stranded" by action against climate change, the report says.

On Tuesday, the Rev Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, endorsed "The Path to Climate Sustainability", a demand to governments to back scientifically based carbon targets, issued by the Global Roundtable on Climate Change. The Roundtable is an initiative from Columbia University which brings together governments and NGOs.