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U.S. development, faith, and environmental groups demand action on poverty and climate change

December 12, 2007

Announcement comes as U.S. government stalls on assistance for developing countries during UN climate negotiations in Indonesia

Washington, D.C. / Bali, Indonesia – Church World Service has joined 29 U.S. development, faith, and environmental groups in releasing a list of four key principles that they believe should guide U.S. government action on the intertwined issues of climate change and global poverty.

"Climate change is already creating devastating impacts for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people -- especially those in developing countries -- even though they are the least responsible for causing it," said Elizabeth Bast from Friends of the Earth U.S. on behalf of the groups. "This problem has not yet been given the urgent attention it demands."

The full statement of principles can be found at: http://action.foe.org/dia/organizationsORG/foe/images/FoE_Climate_and_Development_Principles.pdf.

In abbreviated form, the principles state:

All countries, including the United States, must act now to do their fair share to reduce their contribution to global warming.

The United States has a responsibility to provide assistance to help developing countries adapt to the consequences of global warming.

The United States must work collaboratively with other nations to address climate change and the critical links between global warming and global poverty.

The United States must both shift to a more sustainable domestic energy path, as well as support other nations in their shift to a more sustainable energy and climate path.

The principles' release comes as negotiators meet in Bali, Indonesia, for the UN climate change talks, aimed at producing a mandate for the negotiations of the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol to substantially limit global greenhouse gas emissions.

Funding from industrialized countries to help developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change is a key component of the negotiations. The U.S. government has so far refused to provide any funding for adaptation under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Church World Service is a relief, development and refugee assistance agency supported in part by 35 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox denominations in the United States.

The groups participating in today's release are: ActionAid International USA, Center for American Progress, Friends of the Earth, Oil Change International, Sustainable Energy and Economy Network, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Contacts – Washington, DC:
Nick Berning, Friends of the Earth US, +1 202 222 0748, nberning@foe.org
Lesley Crosson, Church World Service, +1 212-870-2676, lcrosson@churchworldservice.org

Contacts – Bali, Indonesia:
Elizabeth Bast, Friends of the Earth US, +62 (0) 81338969958, ebast@foe.org
Ilana Solomon, ActionAid International USA, +62 (0) 81353006039, ilana.solomon@actionaid.org
Steve Kretzmann, Oil Change International, +62 (0) 81318586018, steve@priceofoil.org
Kit Batten, Center for American Progress, +1 202-390-3139, kbatten@americanprogress.org

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

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