Archbishop of Canterbury welcomes Paris climate deal

Justin Welby

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby has welcomed the Paris climate deal, saying that the global church must be a key partner in tackling climate change.

He said: "I warmly welcome the agreement that almost 200 states came to in Paris on Saturday, setting a clear and ambitious path towards tackling global climate change. Earlier this year I, alongside many other faith leaders, endorsed the Lambeth Declaration on Climate Change. The Declaration recognised the COP21 negotiations as a pivotal moment in the urgent global challenge to tackle climate change."

"As faith leaders, we urged those participating in the negotiations to apply the best of our world's intellectual, economic and political resources to reach a legally-binding global agreement to limit the global rise in average temperatures to 2oC. The commitment made by world leaders to hold the increase in global temperatures to 'well below' this level is welcome and courageous progress.

"Those most affected by climate change are the poor. In our prayers and actions we must demonstrate our love for them through sustainable and generous innovation.

"The success of the negotiations to bring together so many different countries and groups to an agreement is a remarkable achievement.

"One of the Anglican Communion's marks of mission says that we are "to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth". The global church - extraordinarily led on the issue of climate change by Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch - must be a key partner in tackling climate change. As the Body of Christ, his church is called to be incarnational. Each of us has a role to play, if we are to help achieve what has been agreed in Paris."