Eco-Congregation Ireland has signed an Inter-Faith Climate Change Statement that has also been signed by many of the world’s religious leaders.
The statement will be handed over to the President of the United Nations General Assembly at a special faith-based ceremony in New York on Monday 18th April 2016.
The Irish Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches have also signed the statement as have religious leaders and individuals of all faiths around the globe.
The purpose of the statement is to follow up on the Paris Agreement. Right now the agreement is just words on paper. In order to make the world a better, safer place for ourselves and for future generations, it is necessary for world leaders to start taking action – to commit to 1.5°C limit of warming to protect the vulnerable.
Individuals can sign the statement too (until 17th April) here >> http://www.interfaithstatement2016.org/.
Six Key Points within the Interfaith Climate Change Statement:
- 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;
- Insist on rapid emissions reduction and peaking by 2020, in order to keep the 1.5C goal within reach;
- Strongly advocate for greater flows of finance, especially for adaptation and loss and damage;
- Urge the swift phase out of all fossil fuel subsidies and a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050;
- 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
- 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.