Climate change raises questions about ethics, Professor Hulme says.

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams is to attend Thursday's launch at Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in Norwich, Norfolk.

This year's research has seven programmes with a new area tackling the question how international development can be sustained in a warming world.

It will focus on vulnerable communities in Africa and Asia.

`Humanity' warning

Professor Mike Hulme, founding director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and a Professor at the University of East Anglia said climate change is "not only about science and technology," but also involves "humanity's relationship with the planet".

He said: "Climate change raises profound questions about ethics, justice and equity affecting this and future generations and about humanity's relationship with the planet."

Additional new research aims to inform climate policy for beyond the current Kyoto Protocol which ends in 2012.

Another area is to engineer cities so that they can both grow in size and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Four programmes include decarbonising energy; sustainable coastlines; adaptation and resilience; and innovations in integrated climate change modelling.