The Church and Society Commission and the Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the European Community addressed the President of the European Council and the national delegations prior to the Spring Summit. Churches stressed that securing a stable climate is one of the most pressing moral and political challenges of the 21st century. Failure to address this challenge would amount to a moral failure on the part of humanity as a whole.
According to the churches, the EU’s unilateral 20% emissions reduction target is not ambitious enough. The EU should commit itself unilaterally to a mitigation target of at least 30% below 1990 levels by 2020 and this target should, to the greatest possible extent, be achieved within the boundaries of the EU.
The churches urge member states to invest in saving creation. Member states should not let the current economic and financial crisis delay action. Many economists are of the opinion that unless action is taken the costs of mitigation and adaptation policies will rise significantly with every passing year.
The churches also called for solidarity with developing countries, which bear the highest burden of climate change. Without far-reaching technological assistance and financial aid – in addition to traditional development aid – developing countries will neither be able to decarbonise their economies nor to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change.