Stay up-to-date with all the latest actions and developments on Tearfund's campaigning issues.
LATEST: New reports on the draft Climate Change Bill 03/08/07
Find out whether Tearfund's demands for the Climate Change Bill are reflected in the latest parliamentary reports on the Bill: click here to read our summary or here to find out more about the Climate Change Bill.
Latest on WTO negotiations 22/06/07
Click here to read Tearfund's statement on the collapse of the G4 meeting of India, Brazil, US and the EU on Thursday.
Tearfund's reaction to the G8 summit outcome 08/06/07
Read the reaction to the G8 communique and specifically to the announcements on climate change.
Tearfund's response to George Bush's climate change announcement 1/06/07
Click here for Tearfund's view on the latest announcement by the US President on climate change, ahead of the G8 summit.
New report on the devasting impacts of climate change from world's top climate scientists 10/04/07
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has published its latest assessment of the present and future impacts of climate change. It paints a bleak picture for the world's poorest communities. To read Tearfund's summary of the report click here.
Tearfund to offset air travel 10/04/07
From 1 April 2007, Tearfund will be offsetting all international air travel for staff with the Christian offsetting company Climate Stewards. While we believe first and foremost in reducing our emissions by cutting the number of flights that we take, there is a certain amount of travel that is unavoidable for Tearfund employees due to the nature of our work.
Climate Stewards was set up by Christian conservation charity A Rocha, and their strategy is to invest in tree-planting and conservation projects in developing countries. In the future they also plan to develop renewable energy projects in the developing world. To find out more about Climate Stewards and about offsetting click here
Do you have a Fairtrade recipe idea?
Fancy yourself as a published chef? Well, now is your chance. Enter your favourite recipe that uses Fairtrade ingredients into the competition being run by the Fairtrade Foundation along with publisher Dorling Kindersley.
If our panel of expert judges, including Sophie Grigson, like the taste of your recipe it could be featured in the definitive Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook, to be published by Dorling Kindersley in 2008. More details here
World Water Day 22/03/07
We live in a world where one in five people don't have access to safe water. Thursday 22 March was World Water Day. Tearfund marked the day by asking MPs to sign EDM 1113. This calls on the UK government to take political action to ensure that the G8 agrees on a new Global Action Plan for water and sanitation when it meets in June.
Click here to contact your MP and ask them to sign the EDM. For more on our work on water and sanitation click here.
Government publishes draft Climate Change Bill 13/03/07
The government has published a draft bill addressing the UK's greenhouse gas emissions. It is a significant step forward but Tearfund is concerned that it doesn't go far enough. Take action on the bill and read Tearfund's response here.
Channel 4's Great Global Warming Swindle 8/03/07
Were you confused by the programme? Read Tearfund's response and find out what Sir John Houghton, former chair of the IPCC, thinks here
New policy report on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) released 7/02/07
A new report entitled Much to Lose, Little to Gain, looking at the potential impact of EPAs on the Malawian economy, has been released by Tearfund. Researched in conjunction with the Malawian Economic Justice Network - this report gives an insight into the negative effects these trade agreements could have on low income countries such as Malawi. Click here to find out more.
Christians have moral imperative to lead on climate change 2/02/07
A world expert on climate change said Christians were neglecting one of the most important commandments in the Bible if they failed to tackle climate change. To help churches respond to this challenge, Tearfund has launched its first ever Church climate change challenge - a simple way to start cutting their emissions and putting the brakes on climate change. Click here to read the press release.
EPA campaigners write to Chancellor Merkel 2/02/07
Tearfund has joined more than 190 other organisations from across the world and writen to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. We are asking her to ensure trade agreements contribute to the eradication of poverty. Others signing the letter included Micah Challenge Zambia. Click here to read the letter.
Kenyan campaigners demonstrate against EU trade deals 27/01/07
Thousands marched to the European Union (EU) office in Nairobi on Wednesday 26 January. On arrival a petition with 30,000 names on it was handed over. They were calling on the EU to ensure that Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) don't go ahead in their current form.
Campaigners discuss EPAs with minister 9/01/07
Just before Christmas, a group of campaigners from Harrow West, north London, met with MP and Minister for International Development, Gareth Thomas, to discuss the government's position on EPAs. We asked one of them to tell about what happened and you can read it here.
Climate Change Bill 15/11/06
Read Tearfund's response to the government's announcement of a new Climate Change Bill to cut UK emissions here.
Climate Change talks in Nairobi 6-19/11/06
Click here for all the latest news from the conference.
Stop Climate Chaos pledges delivered to Downing Street 8/11/06
Six school children, including eight-year-old Tearfund supporter Daniel Causebrook, met Tony Blair at Downing Street to hand in 150,000 Stop Climate Chaos pledges. The pledges urge him to take urgent action on climate change. Click here to find out more.
25,000 in Trafalgar Square for 4 November I Count rally 4/11/06
Find out all about what happened on the day and see our photo gallery here.
Tearfund's response to Stern Review on Climate Change 31/10/2006
Tearfund has responded to the Stern Report, the government's new review on the economics of climate change. The report painted an apocalyptic scenario of 200 million more refugees and a 20 per cent reduction in the global economy if urgent action is not taken. Read our press release here and our policy position here.
Feeling the heat report in the news 20/10/2006
Tearfund's latest report Feeling the heat has been in the headlines over the past few days. It received significant coverage on Channel 4, Sky News and BBC Online.
Read Channel 4 coverage
Read BBC online coverage
Download the report
EPAs in the news
Observant readers of the Guardian will have spotted a letter from Tearfund's Mari Griffith in the letters pages a few weeks ago. You can read it here. It was one of a number of letters that made it into the paper to coincide with Stop EPAs Day.
I Count Campaign launches 11/10/2006
I Count is the new campaign of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition. Read all about the launch event here.
An Inconvenient Truth
A film following former Vice President Al Gore’s struggle to expose the myths and misconceptions that surround climate change has just been released.
Hailed as ‘a powerful and challenging film’ that highlights ‘a justice issue that Christians must stand up and be counted on’ by Tearfund’s Advocacy Director Andy Atkins, An Inconvenient Truth is showing in cinemas nationwide.
Read a Tearfund press release and click here for the official site with viewing details
Report from Toronto
Several Tearfund staff, and more than 30 partners, attended the 16th International HIV and AIDS conference in Toronto. Click here to hear how it went and for details of our new report: Faith Untapped.
EPAs campaign launched
EPAs are trade agreements that the EU is negotiating with 75 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. In their current form, they will have devastating results for poor communities.
The next stage of our trade campaign focuses on EPAs, asking our government to ensure that the agreements work for the poorest.
Visit our EPAs campaign pages
Climate change resources available
A paper version of the Stop Climate Chaos pledge has been produced for you to distribute in your churches. Email enquiries@tearfund.org or call 0845 355 8355 to order yours.
World trade talks collapse
The World Trade Organisation talks collapsed earlier this week as rich countries failed to propose a fair deal for developing nations. The trade talks, launched in Doha, Qatar in 2001, were supposed to have development concerns at their core. Their failure is a betrayal for millions of poor communities.
Read the press release and the full Tearfund response.
2006 G8: Tearfund disappointed at lack of significant progress
The 2006 G8 Summit in St Petersburg concluded without any significant progress in the fight against global poverty. With the meeting overshadowed by events in the Middle East, the commitment to reviewing the promises made at the 2005 summit seemed to be a low priority for the G8 leaders.
Read the press release and the full Tearfund response.
Tearfund responds to government aid paper
The UK government has this week released a White Paper setting out its priorities for international development for the next five years. Tearfund has welcomed the government's commitment to double aid to Africa for water and sanitation.
Read the press release or download our full response to the DfID White Paper.
Disappointing emphasis on nuclear power in Energy Review
The Government's Energy Review was released yesterday, and to the disappointment of Tearfund, has placed emphasis on nuclear power to meet the UK’s future energy needs and tackle climate change.
More >>.
WTO fails to reach agreement
Trade talks have reached crisis point after trade ministers from more than 40 countries failed to reach an agreement. Ministers met in Geneva at the weekend to try to reach a last-minute agreement on the issues of agriculture and industrial goods but the meeting broke down without a deal.
Going into the meeting, ministers had to agree on more than 750 outstanding issues. A stalemate was reached when the EU and US insisted that developing countries further opened their markets - while refusing to make any meaningful concessions on agricultural subsidies that harm poor nations.
Ministers now have until the end of July to reach agreement or face the possibility of the talks collapsing.
Gleneagles one year on
Just over a year after the G8 summit in Edinburgh, what progress has been made on the historic deals agreed by world leaders? Click here to find out.
Update on International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill
The International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill successfully passed its third reading in the House of Commons on Friday 16 June. The bill will have to be approved by the House of Lords, but now stands an excellent chance of becoming law.
The Bill requires the government to give Parliament an annual financial breakdown on the effectiveness of its overseas aid budget. It also puts into law the target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on aid, along with an assessment of how close the government has come to reaching this target.
The UK international aid budget is set to increase, in part as a result of the Make Poverty History campaign. This bill will be a vital tool in ensuring that the increased aid budget is spent effectively.
Update on Company Law Reform Bill
The Bill will have its second reading in the House of Commons on 6 June. Thanks to your campaigning, the government has already made some changes to the bill but more needs to be done.
More >>
Update on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill
The Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons on 12 May. Many thanks to all of you who wrote letters to your MPs asking them to attend the reading and support the Bill. It will now go through the House of Lords and we will keep you updated about its progress.
New flyer Poverty over? Not yet - now available
Keep your church involved with campaigning after
Make Poverty History with our new flyer,
Poverty over? Not yet.
To order copies email enquiry@tearfund.org or call 0845 355 8355.
Fairtrade consumer sales encourage large retailers to make the switch
More >>
UK government failing to meet emission targets
Poor communities in the developing world will be hit hardest by the UK government’s failure to meet its carbon emissions targets. More>>
Make Poverty History report
2005 was the year of Make Poverty History but what did the campaign achieve? Click here to read our report.
US evangelicals launch green action plan
US evangelical Christian leaders have taken a significant step by releasing a statement on climate change. It must surely prompt America’s church-going public to take climate change more seriously. And we hope it will reverberate through a swathe of the electorate to the Bush administration.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions immediately is vital, as the statement points out. Governments, including those of the US and UK, must do more. Responsibility for this also lies with individuals whose everyday lifestyles have a major impact on the planet.
Read the statement.