Put world's poorest first in climate debate says Archbishop

(December 7, 2009) It is vital that the needs of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged are at the centre of the debate about climate change, England’s leading Catholic Church leader told Christians in London on Saturday. Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster made the comment while addressing an ecumenical service titled 'Time to Pray' on the environment and climate change, in a runup to this week’s climate change summit in Copenhagen. Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the world’s Anglicans, David Gamble, President of the Methodist Conference and Steve Clifford, Director of the Evangelical Alliance were amongst other Christian leaders speaking at the service at Westminster Central Hall. Archbishop Nichols urged people to consider their own lifestyles when thinking about climate change, and urged that people live more simple lives, not dominated by the demands of the “consumer society”. Referring to Pope Benedict XVI viewpoint on climate change he said that since the natural environment is given by God to everyone, so our use of it 'entails a personal responsibility towards humanity as a whole, particularly towards the poor and towards future generations’. Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, offered prayers for negotiators at Copenhagen’s climate change summit and urged people to sacrifice a little bit of our comfort, space and liberty so that others may have the space and comfort they need for life.