Barclays Bank and Morrisons Supermarket are in the front line of Christian Aid's new Climate Change campaign being launched today outside Barclays Tower at Canary Wharf, London.

The organisation says climate change is the most pressing issue for millions of the world's poorest people and is calling on individuals and churches across the UK to sign up to its new Climate Changed campaign and send postcards to the three companies demanding they publish the true extent of their carbon emissions and then commit to a 5% annual reduction.

The campaign comes off the back of an extensive new report the charity published today which reveals that almost 200 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions are not being reported by top companies on the London Stock Exchange.

• Download the report (303kb PDF)

'Barclays and Morrisons have been selected as examples of inaccurate reporting in leading areas of business. Barclays Bank is asked to make public the emissions that result from their lending and investment activities. The campaign also highlights the fact that Morrisons exclude the emissions from their transport fleet and supply chain,' said Paul Brannen, Christian Aid's head of campaigns.

'Our research reveals that a huge amount of carbon dioxide is emitted around the world by the top 100 companies on the London Stock Exchange, but is not being reported. We don't know the full extent of the emissions of many of the biggest companies. Barclays and Morrisons are good examples of this, which is why we're targeting them.'

He added that if carbon emissions are ever to be cut back by an average of five per cent per year across the world, as many scientists now believe is necessary to achieve climate equilibrium, the true scale of carbon emissions has to be known first.

'The developing world is on the front line of a climate change that has been caused by the rich world,' said Mr Brannen. 'It is our moral duty to halt the CO2 emissions that place millions of the most vulnerable people in peril from sea level rise, floods, famines and conflict that are being ushered in by the world becoming warmer.'

The Christian Aid climate change campaign will run throughout the year. As part of the campaign, Christian Aid will be calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to implement mandatory reporting standards across UK business.

For further press information please contact Katy Migiro on 020 7523 2058 or Andrew Pendleton on 020 523 2056 or 07789 997376 or Kate Wills on 07850 242950 (out of hours).

Notes to editors

This campaign follows on from Christian Aid's previous work to highlight the devastating effects climate change is having on poor people. Last May, Christian Aid's report The Climate of Poverty: Facts Fears and Hope revealed that 182 million people would die before the end of century in sub-Saharan Africa from climate change related disease alone. Read the report

Christian Aid is a member of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, a growing movement, bringing together environment and development organisations, unions, faith, community and women's groups, working together on climate change.

Christian Aid is an international development agency working in around 50 countries with people of all religions and none.