CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, has called on developed nations to shoulder the lion's share of responsibility for "the greatest challange facing humankind" - climate change.

CAFOD's newly-launched public policy on climage change regards poverty-reduction as vital to the successful adaptation by developing countries to its effect.

"Whilst climate change will affect everyone, those most seriously and disproportionately affected will be people living in poverty, particularly those in developing countries," warned the paper, released earlier in the week.

"The potential consequences of climate change for the poor mean that CAFOD cannot remain neutral on this issue."

Eleven of the last twelve years have been the warmest on record. CAFOD believes that further global warming above 2°C will have catastrophic effects, especially in poor countries.

A recent survey by CAFOD of some of its partner organisations in Asia shows that poor communities are already being hit by the effects of climate change.

One partner in the Philippines told CAFOD of how crops had been affected by changing weather patterns, forcing women and children to travel to urban areas looking for additional income.

Caritas Bangladesh said: "Local communities, governments and international communities must remember that God always forgives, man often forgives, nature never forgives."

The paper also sets out the Catholic Church's response to climate change.

"The principles of Catholic social teaching guide us in our response to tackling the greatest challenge facing humankind," said CAFOD.

"The Church offers us hope - hope that the relationship between humanity and the rest of creation can be restored through our actions."

CAFOD urges supporters to take action on climate change in the context of livesimply, the Catholic Church's initiative challenging its members to re-examine their lifestyles and live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the world's poorest communities.

At just 22 weeks old, an average UK citizen will be responsible for the equivalent emissions of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, which someone in Tanzania will generate in a whole lifetime, CAFOD revealed.

Its policy paper is now calling on the polluter to pay.

"Historically and to this day, developed nations have been using up far more than their fair share of the Earth's common resources for their own benefit, biting into the share of developing countries," the paper said.

"CAFOD believes that developed countries should acknowledge their ecological debt to developing countries and take full responsibility for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions."

"CAFOD is taking action on several fronts to respond to the challenge of climate change - including auditing its own "ecological footprint."

Working through partner organisations, CAFOD is responding to the humanitarian needs of people affected by climatic disasters. CAFOD is also continuing to assess the threats faced by particular vulnerable communities and supporting them to adapt to new weather conditions.