Nuns and monks pressing Government to kick carbon habit

Hundreds of nuns, monks and clergy are to march on Parliament on Wednesday in a bid to convince the UK to kick its carbon habit.

Nearly 300 members of religious orders with placards and banners are asking MPs to strengthen the Climate Change Bill and 'kick the carbon habit' for the sake of the poorest in the world.

The march has been organised by CAFOD, Conference of Religious (CoR) and Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Links (JPIC).

CAFOD and other aid agencies, including World Vision, Tearfund and Christian Aid, have warned that communities in developing countries are already experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change - despite having contributed the least to the problem.

The marchers will be joined by CAFOD Director Chris Bain and Campaign Strategist at Operation Noah Mark Dowd. Also taking part are Fr Sean McDonagh, a Columban missionary who has written extensively on ecology and religion, Fr Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth Abbey, a Benedictine Monastery near Crawley which was the focus of BBC TV series The Monastery, and Sr Nuala Mottley, a Presentation Sister from Manchester.

The religious lobby will be specifically calling on MPs to strengthen the Climate Change Bill by increasing the carbon emissions reduction target from at least 60% to at least 80% by 2050, and including the UK's share of emissions from international aviation and shipping in the reduction.

Later in the day, Secretary of State for the Environment and Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn, will meet a delegation to hear their concerns in the afternoon.

Sister Pat Robb, CJ, a nun taking part in the march, said: "The poorest for whom life is already a real struggle will bear the brunt of climate change, while those that have consumed more than their fair share of the earth will not have to pay such a heavy price.

"We have to remember that the earth was given to us by God to feed us all, in return we must love and care for it.

"That is why as a religious community we feel it is our obligation to lobby our MPs on this important issue."

CAFOD Director Bain said: "Tackling climate change is essential if the Government's good work in fighting poverty is not to be undermined by rising global temperatures which hit the world's poor hardest.

"We desperately need to see a strong Bill going through parliament, which shows the UK is taking tough action on climate change, and gives the Government a mandate to speak out at crucial international talks."

In 2005, CAFOD worked with religious orders to organise hundreds of religious from Roman Catholic and Anglican orders to lobby their MPs as part of the Make Poverty History campaign.