Mayor of Greater Manchester joins world leaders to say no to climate change and modern slavery

Tony Lloyd signing the declaration

One month after the release of Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’ Tony Lloyd, Mayor of Greater Manchester joined Pope Francis and Mayors from around the world at the Vatican to discuss two of humanity’s greatest global challenges, modern slavery and climate change and make a declaration to work to combat these.

Mr Lloyd said: "This conference echoed the voice of millions of people around the world that climate change threatens to undermine our ways of life in ways we cannot predict. The impacts of rising food prices, rising sea levels, dangerous weather change and refugees on a huge scale and more will hit people hard right across the globe.

"Here in Greater Manchester we can't stand idly by and wait for this to happen – we must take action. When religious leaders join climate change scientists to raise their concern, both morality and common sense demand determined action.

“I was really pleased that so many leaders from across the world joined me in signing the declaration here in Rome to work for a safer, cleaner world and work to end the scourge of modern slavery.”