Christian charities have expressed their disappointment at the outcome of the G7 summit in Cornwall.
The bishops of England, Wales and Scotland wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall last weekend calling for leaders to act for a just and sustainable future for the global community.
Bishop Richard Moth of Arundel and Brighton, lead bishop for social justice, and Bishop John Arnold of Salford, chair of Cafod and lead bishop for the environment, joined Bishop William Nolan of Galloway, lead bishop for Justice and Peace in Scotland, to say: “The urgency of the global ecological crisis, and the teachings of our Catholic faith, implore us to speak out, take action and make decisions that benefit our planet and the most vulnerable in society.”
They urged G7 leaders to focus on vaccine equity, protect bio- diversity and meet targets set out in the Paris Agreement “so that we do not exceed the 1.5C temperature rise, beyond which life on our planet will face dire consequences”.
They wanted a radical reduction in use of fossil fuels. The bishops reported on action in the Catholic community, such as using green energy, projects to decarbonise dioceses, working towards Cafod’s Livesimply award and education in schools. But following the summit, Cafod’s director, Christine Allen, said G7 leaders had “wasted a precious face-to-face meeting to encourage each other and deliver urgent and desperately needed action on Covid and the climate crisis”.
Christian Aid agreed that the outcome was disappointing on “progressing comprehensive debt relief, delivering on climate finance promises and acting to end vaccine apartheid”.
Caitlin Boyle of Caritas Westminster and a Cafod volunteer was part of Cafod’s youth delegation to lobby the G7 in Cornwall. She told a Westminster Justice and Peace meeting that the group is inspired to continue calling for Covid vaccine equity, debt cancellation and climate action. The group sent messages to the leaders through an inter- faith service at Truro Cathedral on 10 June, helped launch an art installation by schoolchildren, held a beach vigil spelling out that 3.7m lives have been lost during the pandemic, and waved off young walkers of the Youth Climate Action Network as they began a relay to November’s COP26 in Glasgow.
Meanwhile, a group of young Christians in Cornwall who saw the presence of world leaders in their region as an opportunity to speak out on the climate crisis will be continuing their protest at COP26 in Glasgow in November. The Christians, who sought 1,000 signatories to their open letter to G7 members, are seeking a further 4,000 signatures in time for the COP26.
The open letter, entirely written by 11-19 year olds, called on world leaders to cut carbon emissions to zero, withdraw funding from fossil fuels, and provide support global poor affected by catastrophic climate change. Polling by the United Nations Development Programme in January found that two thirds of young people consider climate change to be a “global emergency” and amongst religious young people, a Tearfund The G7 (Group of Seven) was a group made up of world’s seven largest advanced democratic economies, currently comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the United States.
Also present were representatives of the EU, India, South Korea and Australia. Among those demonstrating, were members of Extinction Rebellion.
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