Campaigners from Christian aid agency Tearfund have handed a 10,000-strong petition to the government urging them to help poor people in the developing world adapt to the effects of climate change.

As the scale of the global credit, climate and oil shocks becomes clearer, support for a radical 'Green New Deal' is growing, political economist Ann Pettifor and analyst Andrew Simms told a meeting in parliament last night.

Environmental campaigners and development groups have welcomed the government’s announcement of its decision to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 rather than 60% by 2050 - but they are calling for action to match the rhetoric.

Business Secretary John Hutton’s ringing endorsement of coal as a source of energy at the Labour conference makes a public enquiry into plans to build a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth essential, says Christian Aid.