The Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) have written a joint letter to the Churches of Europe on “Churches responding to climate change”, in view of the United Nations’ Climate Conference to be held in Copenhagen from 7-18 December 2009.
The letter encourages churches and Christians to take appropriate action to address the challenge of climate change by lobbying governments, taking part in initiatives for saving energy and educating an ecological responsibility. Also, engaging in prayer in solidarity with those suffering the effects of negative climate change.
The following is the full text of the letter –
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This letter comes to you as a joint letter from the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE). It addresses one of the key concerns we have together to face.
Climate change is an issue for each one of us. It affects the life of the whole planet. Earth and all its ecosystems is a precious gift which we have received from God.
In the face of global crisis – economic, environmental or any other – , we are called to live in the way that shows the Faith and Hope and Love which we bear towards God, as well as our respect for the whole of God’s creation.
In a world of limited natural resources we need to foster a lifestyle which prevents all abuse of God’s gifts in creation and promotes a good stewardship of all that God has given us in Creation. In this perspective, we need to reduce our dependence on increasing consumption of energy, in particular consumption of fossil-based energy.
Industrialised countries have to take the lead in these efforts, on the basis also of their responsibility for decades of accumulating Green House Gasses (GHGs) in the Earth’s atmosphere. The cumulative effect of these GHGs is one of many challenges which we need to manage on the level of political decision-making. It also challenges us to modify our daily lives as communities and individuals.
At the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen from 7-18 December this year, important decisions will be made which will influence many aspects of our lives from now into the foreseeable future. CEC and CCEE together with many individual Churches in Europe believe that the issues discussed at the conference and the challenges we face are not only to do with technicalities of climate change: ethics, culture, faith and religion are substantive elements of our lifestyle and must be taken into account if climate change is to be effectively tackled and integral human development secured. We know that only with a really human ecology, which takes account of the rights but also the responsibilities which we bear towards each other and towards future generations, can a better care for the environment be foreseen.
We believe that the EU has to step up its efforts to recognise the mutual responsibility of member countries to combat climate change.
In the light of this:
We encourage Churches and Christians in Europe to take appropriate action to address the challenge of climate change in the weeks to come: