Interfaith Climate Statement

Last week the President of the UN General Assembly, H.E Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, was presented with an Interfaith Climate Change Statement signed by 250 global faith leaders’ from fifty countries. The Statement urges governments to promptly sign and ratify the Paris Agreement so that it can come into effect as soon as possible. The presentation took place in New York at UN headquarters onMonday 18th April, 11-12 pm EDT (Tuesday, 19th April, 2AM AEST).

The Six Key Points within the Interfaith Climate Change Statement:

1. Urge governments to rapidly sign, ratify and implement the Paris Agreement, and to increase pledges to reduce emissions in line with keeping the global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels;
2. Insist on rapid emissions reduction and peaking by 2020, in order to keep the 1.5C goal within reach;
3. Strongly advocate for greater flows of finance, especially for adaptation and loss and damage;
4. Urge the swift phase out of all fossil fuel subsidies and a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050;
5. Encourage faith communities to reduce emissions in their homes, workplaces and centres of worship and to support and stand in solidarity with communities already impacted by climate change; and
6. Call for fossil fuel divestment and reinvestment in renewables and low carbon solutions, including within our own communities, and/or by engaging companies on climate change.

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary, World Council of Churches is among the high profile global signatories. Australian signatories affiliated with NCCA include Sr Elizabeth Delaney sgs, General Secretary of NCCA; Bishop John Henderson, President of the Lutheran Church of Australia; Stuart McMillan, President, Uniting Church in Australia Assembly; Bishop Suriel, Coptic Orthodox Church Diocese of Melbourne and Affiliated Regions, Rev. Dr. Lyn Arnold Chair of the Public Affairs Commission of the Anglican Church of Australia, and Jacqueline Remond, Chair, NCCA Eco-Mission Project.

The full list of signatories, and for further information please visit www.interfaithstatement2016.org