The Kirchentag, Germany's huge bi-annual ecumenical celebration, is making greater efforts to be environmentally friendly in 2012, say organisers.

A group of Catholic bishops have lead a "green pilgrimage" reflecting a theme chosen by Pope Benedict XVI for the 2010 World Day of Peace.

An estimated 1.5 million people welcomed in 2010 around Sydney harbour, in what organisers call the biggest New Year's Eve show in the world - but one where great efforts had been made to emphasise green values.

There are positive features to the 2009 UK budget, says Ann Pettifor. But many of them look meagre compared to the scale of the problems and the missing Green New Deal.