Photo: Green Faith.
Earlier this month, at the COP22 climate summit, countries around the world ratified the Paris Climate agreement, negotiated last year.
Back in 2015, many analysts seemed to feel that the Paris agreement for the first time recognised the scale of change that is needed to prevent catastrophic climate change, but lacked the detail or legal back-up to make this change happen. That means that civil society, including faith groups, need to keep up the pressure to hold world-leaders to account, and ensure that the changes needed are made. Footsteps aims to contribute to this at a local level in Birmingham, and many others are doing the same across the world.
At COP22, 303 eminent faith leaders from 58 countries with representatives from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jains, Quakers, Muslim, Sikh, Unitarian Universalists, as well as Indigenous and Spiritual leaders made an interfaith statement, reiterating our moral obligation to create a low carbon future. This is a short extract:
Across all faiths, we share a moral obligation to not harm others, to be fair and to care for the vulnerable. Climate change is already having global impacts, disproportionately affecting poor and marginalized communities and we grieve for their loss and suffering. How we turn the corner to harness the worst impacts of climate change depends on the work we do in the next ten, five, even two years. Each and every one of us must act on the reality of the climate crisis, so that the damage we inflict upon our sacred Earth ceases and the ecosystems on which all life depends can heal.