"This Looks Like Real Progress"

Speaking as the Church of England's lead on the environment, Bishop Nicholas has welcomed today's agreement at the UN Climate Change Summit in Paris. After two weeks of talks, participants have committed to hold the increase in global temperatures to 'well below' 2-degrees above pre-industrial levels, alongside clear rules on transparency and reviews of carbon emissions every five years.

Speaking about the COP21 agreement, Bishop Nick Holtam, said, "is good to have an ambitious agreement about the aspiration. What matters now is that governments actually deliver a low carbon future - the transparency of accountability and process of review will be what ensures that happens. This looks like real progress - there is now a much more positive spirit about what now needs to happen than after Copenhagen six years ago, but we are still at an early stage on the journey."

In the run up to the talks, the Church of England organised the Pilgrimage2Paris, with pilgrims walking 200 miles from London to Paris to call on COP21 to reach a fair, ambitious and binding climate deal - including two pilgrims from our Diocese, Harry Reddick from Holy Trinity, Weymouth and Elizabeth Perry from Middle Woodford.

This culminated with Bishop Nick Holtam meeting President Hollande to present climate justice petitions signed by almost two million people ahead of the final agreement at the United Nations Climate Change talks in Paris - COP21.

"It was a privilege to meet President Hollande on behalf of the 1.8 million people from faith communities who had signed petitions calling for climate justice", concluded Bishop Nicholas, "Supporting our politicians and diplomats to make difficult decisions has been an important part of the COP21 process, and we will continue to pray for them."

Bishop Nicholas made a short video (2 minutes) on the outcome of Paris and why Christians must care for creation - have a look here.