Three empty chairs should be placed centre stage at all climate negotiations, according to a Swedish church leader. These would symbolically represent the poor, future generations and creation itself.
Rev Henrik Grape of the Church of Sweden made this proposal at a Dialogue Seminar dedicated to the issue of climate change as a challenge for lifestyles, solidarity and global justice. Participants at the event, which was organised by the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC). The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences in the European Communities (COMECE) and the Bureau of European Policy Advisers of the European Commission, agreed that it is a special responsibility of the churches to speak in favour of these three non-participants.
The seminar was designed as an opportunity for churches and church organisations to discuss the ethical dimension of the fight against climate change with EU representatives.
The Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Prof. Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, presented the latest figures concerning climate change. According to these figures, the EU’s emissions’ reductions target of a maximum of 30% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels would not be sufficient to ensure keeping global warming below 2°C. Prof. Helga Kromp-Kolb, meteorologist and winner of several scientific awards emphasised, with regard to the EU’s negotiating position in the forthcoming Copenhagen Conference, that 30% is not enough, 2°C is already too high and 2020 is too late.
Both EU and church representatives agreed on the urgency of the situation that climate change has become a question of survival, especially for the poor and vulnerable who will be the first to suffer. Karl Falkenberg, Director General for DG Environment at the European Commission stated that the European Union has not only to assume our responsibility but also to be the leader for the rest of the world. The outcome of Copenhagen will be positive only if we manage to convince other large emitters like China, India or Russia to join our commitment to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Bernd Nilles, Secretary General of CIDSE and Marlene Grundstr from APRODEV recalled on behalf of the Christian development aid organisations that the fight against climate change is strongly linked to development policy and warned against the lack of solidarity towards developing countries in the final stage of the Copenhagen negotiations. In Copenhagen we need answers, not deals, Nilles said. Metropolitan Athanasios of Achaia from the Church of Greece stated that our overwhelming problems, such as environmental pollution, pollution of seas, contaminated food supplies, the squandering of energy sources and climate change were issues that concerned the human rights of future generations.
Rev. R Noll, Director of the Church and Society Commission and Associate General Secretary of CEC, put an emphasis on the principle of justice and the responsibility for developed countries “to save the harmony of creation”.
Many church representatives expressed their commitment to ambitious mitigation targets and lifestyle changes. The Secretary General of COMECE, Fr Piotr Mazurkiewicz asserted that “An effective response to climate change requires both political leadership and ethical reflection and debate. These are essential in order to win over not only minds but also the hearts of citizens and to make change effective.” And he posed the question, “What is a good and happy life about?”
On the basis of numerous expert and reflection papers issued by churches and church organisations over recent years, participants stressed that the necessary lifestyle changes can be conveyed best by education at all levels and by encouraging more responsible consumer habits. In this respect, Klaus Kagler, Head of Unit for Sustainable Production and Consumption in DG Environment, and Prof. Andreas Lienkamp emphasised the need for an infrastructure favouring eco-responsible choices and behaviour.
Concluding the seminar, the representatives of churches shared in a willingness to address a message of Hope to all EU citizens and encourage them to implement the necessary lifestyle changes. In return, representatives of the Commission and of the European Parliament agreed that the support of churches in the fight against climate change is crucial in convincing citizens to adopt climate friendly behaviour in their daily lives.
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