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World News

Vatican holds climate change conference

The conference has outlined the Christian duty for people to be good stewards of God's creation who care for the world and also to look after the poor - who are the most impacted by climate change.

It is called 'Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity,' and is being attended by 20 religious leaders from different faiths, 20 academics and 20 scientists.

Protect the Earth comes before Pope Francis releases an official statement on climate change next month.

Some climate-change sceptics, including Christians, have attacked Pope Francis for speaking out on the issue.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 97% of scientists agree that humans and not natural causes are the reason for rising temperatures.

According to the BBC, Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, who leads the Pontifical Academy of Sciences which hosted the event, has criticised oil companies for encouraging distrust in science so people do not commit to more environmentally friendly ways of living.

Andy Lester, from the Christian environmental charity A Rocha, told Premier's News Hour: "We're seeing one of the greenest popes in a very long time, and his passion on climate change is very very clear. The big difference is he's seen largely as one of the key people who could shift public opinion.

"We see the Republican [political] right in America really quite rattled by the fact that the Pope has taken such a strong stand on climate change.

"The Republicans are going to be split right down the middle thinking: 'Well if the Pope is saying climate change is happening, it's something we've got to take seriously'.

"It doesn't matter about the scale, what does matter is the feeling that people can be empowered to do something. Wherever you live, whatever your background, you can take tiny little imaginative steps that will create a change."

Listen to Andy Lester speaking to Premier's Hannah Tooley on the News Hour here: 

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