As COP 27draws near - 6 to 18 November 2022
WCC member churches head to COP 27
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| 2 September 2022, Karlsruhe, Germany: Climate protest at the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, held in Karlsruhe, Germany.Photo: Gjermund Øystese/WCC | |
A World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation comprised of representatives from WCC member churches and partner organizations is headed to the COP27 climate change summit in Egypt. They aim to lift up the voices, experiences, and perspectives of those most affected.
Read:
WCC member churches head to COP27, ready to push for a just, sustainable global community | World Council of Churches 3 November 2022
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WCC statement
"The Living Planet: Seeking a Just and Sustainable Global Community", Statement by the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany
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“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the water”. (Psalm 24) |
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“...cease to do evil and learn to do right; Pursue justice and champion the oppressed. Give the orphan his rights, plead the widow’s case”. (Isaiah 1:16b-17) |
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He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) |
Read:
WCC Statement: The Living Planet: Seeking a Just and Sustainable Global Community | World Council of Churches 3 November 2022
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Faiths for Climate Justice and open letter to PM Albanese
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| Kiribati Youth Climate activists, credit: supplied by ARRCC. | The multi-faith congregation who attended St Patrick’s Cathedral, Sydney, 13 October 2022. Credit Michael O’Farrell. |
13 October 2022
Senior faith leaders have called on Prime Minister Albanese to increase ambition on climate.
One hundred religious and First Nations leaders from across Australia and the Pacific are urging Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to take decisive action to combat climate change by stopping all new coal and gas projects and ending public subsidies to the fossil fuel sector.
Signatories to the open letter to Mr Albanese include the most senior leaders of the Anglican Church in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, the President of the National Council of Churches, the Grand Mufti of Australia, the President of the Uniting Church as well as First Nations leaders and senior leaders of the Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu and Brahma Kumaris religions.
Their letter states: “Australia is a wealthy country that profits from exports that are causing the crisis. We hear the cries of anguish from those most vulnerable in the human family who are losing their lives, livelihoods and homes through climate-fuelled disasters.
Rev. James Bhagwan, the General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, said, “We in the Pacific have welcomed the willingness of the new Australian Government to listen to the peoples of the Pacific.” “However, coal and gas from Australia are a threat to our survival - and it doesn’t matter where they’re burned. Whether Australian coal and gas is burned overseas or on Australian soil, our homes and cultures are threatened either way. New coal and gas projects are a death sentence to the Pacific way of life and life in the Pacific,” he said.
On 13 October, in major cities across Australia, everyday people of faith showed support for their message by attending multi-faith services for climate justice at cathedrals and other well-known places of worship. The cathedrals include St Paul’s in Melbourne, St Patrick’s in Parramatta, St Mary’s in Perth and St John’s in Brisbane.
The faith leaders have furthermore called on the Prime Minister to restart contributions to the UN’s Green Climate Fund. This is widely viewed in low-income countries as a crucial test of how seriously wealthy countries take their responsibilities. Other ‘asks’ are that First Nations peoples’ rights to protect Country are fully respected, that there be an orderly and supported transition for coal and gas dependent communities, and endorsement of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Read:
Open letter to Prime Minister Albanese - Climate Justice | Released by ARRCC Thursday, 13 October, 2022
"Thank you also to all the First Nations and faith leader signatories, who have lent the weight of their authority to the open letter itself. We were reliably informed that this sometimes involved careful discussion amongst their community leaders, so support wasn’t given lightly." ARRCC representative, Thea Ormerod
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Invitation COP27: Launching of a Multi-faith/Multi-sector Alliance for Climate Action
When: November 16 2022 at 2:00 pm (EET)
Over the course of this year a diverse group of secular and faith experts , working under the umbrella of the Rockefeller Foundation/Brookings Institution’s 17 Rooms initiative, decided to create a global-scale Multi-faith/Multisector Alliance for Climate Action to be launched at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The Steering Committee of this initiative and the co-hosts of the event in Egypt, wish to invite you to join the launching of the Alliance in Sharm el-Sheikh or follow it through YouTube livestream.
The Alliance intends to be a bridge between existing multi-faith actors and their coalitions, and key secular actors (including governments, multilateral organizations, private sector, civil society organizations, and media) to explore and advance collaboration on specific areas for climate action. It is a collaboration of the willing, sharing common goals and diverse experiences and networks, working together to elevate and add value to existing initiatives that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
New institutional partners are cordially invited to participate in the Alliance and seed funding is being sought to support the initial key initiatives outlined in the attached documents. Please feel free to forward this invitation to your networks and partners. This is an initiative that will bring together existing networks working for climate justice.
Download:
pdf Invitation and Tentative Program for the Launching (634 KB)
pdf Multi sector Alliance for Climate Action Summary note (132 KB)
