The Archbishop of Canterbury has called for urgent action to tackle climate change, on the eve of a landmark encyclical on the environment by Pope Francis.
Archbishop Justin Welby and other faith leaders in Britain, including Bishop John Arnold on behalf of Cardinal Vincent Nichols, today launched a new Lambeth Declaration that calls for big reductions in carbon emissions and urges faith communities to lead the way on creating a greener economy.
It came as Christians from different denominations gathered in Westminster to demand action on climate change.
At an ecumenical service at St Margaret's church this morning, which was organised by groups including Tearfund and Cafod, Christians prayed for an end of the devastating effects of climate change.
Above: Church leaders and others outside St Margaret's Westminster. Photo: Tearfund
Both today's march and the Lambeth Declaration anticipate international climate change talks in Paris in December, which take place five years after similar meetings in Mexico.
In the declaration the faith leaders said: “The demands of justice as well as of creation require the nations of the world urgently to limit the global rise in average temperatures to a maximum of 2oC, as agreed by the United Nations in Cancún. We have a responsibility to act now, for ourselves, our neighbours and for future generations.”
They call on faith communities to develop spiritual and theological resources around environmentalism and to “redouble efforts” to reduce their own institutional and individual emissions.
The Bishop of Salisbury, Nicholas Holtam, the Church of England’s lead bishop on the environment, was to launch the declaration at ecumenical services in Westminster today. Ahead of the launch he said he “looked forward” to the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si’, which is due to be released tomorrow.
Other signatories included the Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism, Laura Janner-Klausner, the Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Ibrahim Mogra, and leaders from the Sikh community.
The original Lambeth Declaration was signed by former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams ahead of a 2009 climate summit in Copenhagen.
Loading ...
