Faith groups and charities unite to tackle climate change

Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Laudato si’, has triggered wider cooperation between green groups and faith communities, according to scientists meeting in London this week.

One leading climate scientist described it as “opening the floodgates” on dialogue between the two sides, which in the past have not always seen eye-to-eye.

“The encyclical gave everybody a push from the highest level and told people to get going,” said Lizzie Mcleod who works with the US-based environmental group, The Nature Conservancy.

Dr Mcleod was a speaker at a conference in London organised by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation to identify brokers who can foster links between ecological and religious groups and to create a handbook of case studies illustrating how they can work together.

“The areas where we can co-operate are vast,” she said. “There is such a need for those brokers. There is resistance and a deep-seated fear on both sides. I was asked by colleagues if I was an evangelical Christian because I was trying to partner with faith groups. Some don’t think we should be working with them because we might not agree with all of their values, but we work with a number of groups we don’t always agree with. It’s about how we bring our unique skill sets together to achieve a common goal.”

Laudato si’ also inspired the Labour MP Helen Good­man to promote a Commons debate on climate change that was due to take place on Thursday. Goodman said the encyclical singled out politicians, who seemed to be mostly concerned with masking problems when there is an urgent need to develop new policies.

“He calls on us to show ‘courage’ and ‘change established structures of power which today govern societies’ and this is why I have called for the debate,” she said.

Her motion, which is backed by a number of Catholic MPs including Rob Flello (pictured), the Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, Edward Leigh, the Conservative MP for Gains­borough and Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, urges the Government to ensure that the forthcoming climate conference in Paris backs practical measures to ensure global warming stays below an increase of 2°C.