THE Bishop of Oxford is calling on world leaders at the Copenhagen summit on climate change to strike a deal for future generations.

The summit, starting Monday, is aiming for agreement on measures to tackle climate change, including cutting emissions and financial help for poor countries facing rising temperatures.

The Rt Rev John Pritchard said: “We call on our leaders to set aside defensive strategies and focus on leaving a world fit for our grandchildren.

“In common with many Christians, I will be praying for the participants to be brave rather than cautious, prophetic rather than defensive. There is simply no time to waste.

“With droughts, floods, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, erratic storms, thawing permafrost and much more, the Earth is increasingly unwell – and, as ever, it is the poorest countries that suffer most.”

The Bishop said he feared the talks might end in stalemate, and added: “Developing countries, not unnaturally, want the wealthier countries to bear the burden of fixing the problem they have created with their excessive consumption.

“The wealthier countries say they are having to re-engineer their economies away from carbon-dependency, just at the time of a credit crunch, record debt and high unemployment. Something has to give.”

A special service is being held in Westminster on Saturday. The summit runs until December 18.