Speaking on the eve of World Environment Day, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey today (Monday 4 June) launched a Church seminar on environmental issues, by calling for greater attention to be paid to the links between poverty and the environment.

Addressing Church of England Bishops, gathered in Liverpool, he emphasised the importance of environmental issues for the world's poorest people:

"Clearly environmental degradation causes poverty. An obvious example is the link between climate change and expansion of deserts, such as the Sahara with the resulting loss of both arable and grazing land for herds. On the other hand, poverty can be the cause of environmental damage."

The Archbishop gave an example from his own experience: "I recall going to Armenia in 1994. As we flew from Moscow the words of the First Secretary rang in my ears: 'When you land in Yeravan, look out for the trees.' As we approached the capital we looked. We saw no trees and the penny dropped: very poor people were uprooting trees for fuel and for shelter. They had no choice in the matter."

Dr Carey added: "Poor people are forced to create conditions that imperil themselves and our world. It is thus very much in the interests of richer countries to bring poorer nations out of extreme poverty to share in the fight against environmental damage."

The Archbishop went on to challenge the morality of some approaches to raising environmental standards: "Should ecological security be sought and bought at the expense of the poorest?" he asked.

The Archbishop also confronted criticism that some Christian teaching about mankind's mastery of nature was more part of the problem than the solution on environmental issues...

"The centrality of incarnation and salvation brings into focus not the arrogance of an anthropocentric view of the universe but rather the theology that it was God's intention that humankind should serve and tend God's glorious creation", he said.

The Archbishop has developed his concern for ecological and environmental issues over twenty-five years and addressed these themes in his New Year's Message this year.