Faith groups have been urged to do more to engage with the climate crisis.
At a session on faiths at an online conference to mark the postponed COP26 climate talks of world leaders in Glasgow, one campaigner said: “I have felt increasingly confused and disappointed as to the tiny number of churchgoing or faith-motivated people at the many climate initiatives that I have got behind.”
Describing herself as a climate activist for two decades, she added: “I just thought that this would be an absolute given for faith based people, so why has it taken so long for it to become a concern and a responsibility within faith groups?”
Around 8,000 people from around the world joined the five-day online gathering, From the ground up: Global Gathering for Climate Justice, organised by the COP26 Coalition, made of climate justice groups, environment and development organisations, faith groups, students and youth, migrant and racial justice networks.
The session titled The Path of Hope – A Study on Climate Action for Faith Communities was held on Sunday 15 November and around 50 people joined.
There was a call for faiths to focus on advocacy for climate justice as well as personal action to reduce carbon footprints. It was felt that people of faith have much to contribute, “because of their vision of community” and “the relationships they have with local communities”. Faith groups can also influence curricular development in schools. There was acknowledgement that faiths engage with grassroots communities globally and are well placed to feed back communities’ experience of climate change impacts. The role that Laudato Si’ has played was applauded, especially making links between climate impacts and structural issues such as the damage extractive industries can cause to ecosystems.
The marking of this month’s postponed COP26 meeting in Glasgow included an online one-hour ecumenical prayer service for climate justice, involving Cafod and Christian Aid. Around 200 joined in from around the UK and as far afield as Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa, and India. Speakers from every continent led prayers and shared experiences of the struggle for climate justice, starting with a reflection from Glasgow cathedral. Eco-Congregation Scotland said it looked forward to welcoming the world, online or in person, at the rescheduled gathering in November 2021.
Earlier in November, Bishop John Arnold, environment lead for the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, joined more than 60 UK faith leaders in writing to the Prime Minister to call on the government to deliver new, ambitious plans to tackle climate change. The faith leaders stressed that, as COP26 president, the UK has an important role in rallying all countries to raise ambition and put forward enhanced nationally determined contributions that limit a global temperature rise this century to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.
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