The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has challenged everyone to take responsibility for climate change.

In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Dr Williams said the climate crisis was the "largest challenge ever" to face mankind and was "everybody's problem".

During the interview, the issue of climate change denial came up, with Dr Williams suggesting that some people did not want to admit it was a problem because it would require them to make lifestyle changes.

He said that for some, the reality was "just too uncomfortable to face", while for others, they dismiss it as a conspiracy theory "invented by communisits, illuminati or some mysterious group".

He said that he was more concerned about the latter.

"For others I think there's a rather a more sinister feeling that this must be some kind of conspiracy," he said.

"So that's something I worry about a bit more, the idea that there are people who genuinely believe climate change is a huge confidence trick."

The interview also touched on the general election, with Dr Williams saying that "myths" had been prevalent in public debate on both ends of the political spectrum.

"Broadly on the Conservative side, there's an assumption still that most of our ills are caused by something coming in from outside," he said.

The "myth" perpetuated by the left was to "legislate justice into being".