Interfaith Climate Change Statement to World Leaders (April 18, 2016)

Republished from the Interfaith Climate Change Statement
Photo: The Interfaith Climate Change Statement to World Leaders was officially handed over to H.E. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the UN General Assembly at the UN Church Centre, April 18th 2016. Credit. Paul Hunt/ WCC

ADD YOUR NAME & SUPPORT TO THE INTERFAITH CLIMATE CHANGE STATEMENT TO WORLD LEADERS 

Individuals and Groups: Add your name to the Statement, along with religious leaders and people of faith from around the world.

The Interfaith Climate Change Statement to World Leaders (2016) outlines the positive support, by religious leaders and faith communities, of the adopted Paris Agreement. It also urges prompt signature and ratification of the Agreement by governments so that it can come into force as soon as possible. It also insists that there is a significant increase in the current levels of ambition relating to emission reductions, financial flows, adaptation, loss and damage and a swift phase out of fossil fuel subsidies – so as to keep temperatures within reach of 1.5C.

The Statement renews the strong commitment of the faith community to remain active in defining the moral responsibility to care for the Earth, and it also encourages its own communities to reduce emissions and to divest and reinvest in renewables.

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.

Read the full statement here. See the PDF with signatures here

See the Simplified Chinese translation here. See the Traditional Chinese here

See the French translation here

See the Hindi translation here

See the Italian translation here

See the Spanish translation here

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