Can religion and faith combat eco-despair? (The Conversation) – Scientists regularly study the ongoing degradation of Earth’s environment and track the changes wrought by a warming planet. Economists warn that intensifying disasters are harming people’s quality of life. And policymakers focus on crafting rules to diminish the health and environmental effects of humanity’s growing footprint. Read more
UN wants faith groups to help work against plastic pollution: NAIROBI, KENYA – A senior U.N. official urged religious groups to help reach a global agreement to curb plastic pollution, amid experts warning that single-use or disposable plastics were choking the planet. Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N. Environment Programme, spoke during the interfaith online dialogue sessions on religion and ecology organized by the U.N. body. Read more
Summary of Working Group Report: Young People have “apocalyptic fear” Delegates at the 12th session of IPCC WGII (WGII-12) were keenly aware of the need to strike a balance in how the Working Group communicates the science-ensuring that the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) conveys the seriousness and urgency of the situation without signaling that the situation is hopeless. As noted by Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), climate change is impacting mental health, especially of young people who are experiencing “apocalyptic fear.” He stressed that “fear” should be targeted towards decision-makers, not young people. Read more
Calling fossil fuel investments sinful, global interfaith coalition outlines moral standards for climate finance: The World Council of Churches and other international faith organizations are pressing the financial industry to adopt a set of moral standards to address climate change that would steer assets away from fossil fuels and deforestation and make portfolios excluding both the default option for clients. And they’re inviting other religious congregations to join the push through their local banks and fund managers. Read more
Closing Statement of Faith-based Organizations Faith for Earth Dialogue Changing the Future: (UNEA-5) is an historic moment for multiple faith traditions to engage with global environmental challenges today. Since the launch of Faith for Earth at UNEA 4, this movement continues to grow exponentially. Fifty-six Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) are accredited and participate in the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders program. Read more
World Council of Churches and the latest report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: “The World Council of Churches has for decades witnessed the injustice that climate change brings. The vulnerable and impoverished are at the very centre of our mission and work as churches and people of faith. They are our brothers and sisters. We are not true to our calling as Christians if we are not doing everything we can to prevent the global temperature from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius.” Read more
IPCC report spotlights mental health impacts of climate change: For the first time, the UN’s climate science body has spotlighted the mental health challenges caused by rising temperatures and extreme weather events. Read more
Affirmation of Climate Finance Moral Standards for Asset Managers: As people of diverse faiths and spiritualities, we call on the world’s asset managers, banks, and insurers to stop financing the immoral destruction of our climate. Read more
Opinion: We Have Faith. Now We Need Clean Air. As people of faith, we believe that each human is worthy and deserving of basic needs including the need for clean air and clean water. We seek to live in a world where we are not only surviving but thriving. Addressing methane emissions through robust pollution standards is critical to achieving this vision. Read more
IPCC 6th Report: a call to put faith into action: Many Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs and other people of faith baulk at the topic of climate change, seeing it as a ‘political issue’. However, climate started out in the 1970’s as an engineering, moral and social challenge, but was made a ‘political issue’ by fossil fuel companies seeking to stop government regulation from threatening their profits. For supporters of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC), it is primarily a moral issue. Guided by the principles of fairness, truth-seeking and compassion, we are concerned that the people who are hit the hardest by climate impacts are usually those who are already poor, and have the least capacity to cope. Read more
The Plastic Pollution Resolution: The triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste is threatening to pull the very rug out from under the Sustainable Development Goals – and with it whip away our aspirations to end hunger and poverty, deliver peace and equity, and live in harmony with the natural world. Read more
Middle East and North Africa Climate Week 2022 The first ever Regional Climate Week for the Middle East and North Africa, hosted by the government of the United Arab Emirates, is planned to take place in Dubai on 02 – 03 March 2022.
The upcoming Regional Climate Weeks will provide a platform for representatives of national and subnational governments, cities, the private sector, financial institutions and civil society to jointly discuss opportunities to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying opportunities to deploy ambitious measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate change.
Regional Climate Weeks are open to all stakeholders as a ‘go-to’ hub to build partnerships and to showcase groundbreaking action in the regions. Read more
Tags: Updates #33
