13.11.2015

Churches are joining together in an interfaith movement on Climate Change

Richard Madete, UEM Climate Protection Programme, African region, 10/11/2015 Faith-based climate pilgrimages are crossing the world on their way to Paris to express solidarity with those affected by climate change – urging world leaders to produce a legally binding and universal agreement on the climate at the crucial United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris from 30 November to 11 December. According to the organizing committee, the objective of the 2015 conference is to achieve, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, a binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world. The focus will be on ratification by all nations of the Kyoto protocol to lessen effects of climate change. Two weeks ago the German pilgrimage reached the halfway point in Wuppertal at the headquarters of the United Evangelical Mission, where German Federal Minister of the Environment Barbara Hendriks and many Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders welcomed them. In her welcoming remarks, she said she is optimistic that this year’s conference in Paris will bring about a satisfying agreement, since China and USA are also participating. Rev. Dr. Jochen Motte, head of JPIC department at the United Evangelical Mission (UEM)  in his short statement after welcoming the pilgrims in Wuppertal (see YouTube Video), he stressed that Climate Justice is a priority of the organization’s programes since 2008. The Climate pilgrimage in Germany, Flensburg to Paris (www.klimapilgern.de) is going through a traditional pilgrim route and will cover about 1.470 kilometers from the Dannish-German border through Germany to the German-French border through France to Paris. Among the goals for the ecumenical Pilgrimage of Climate Justice to the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris 2015 is to support and follow the call of the 10th general assembly of the World Council of Churches and invite everyone to join in a "Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace", which focuses on climate justice. Through this pilgrimage, the organizers are not only willing to bring a message to world leaders, but also to stimulate public debates on climate justice and global dimensions of climate change. Also in Africa people are active. For example, on 29th August, an-African Cycling Caravan, organized by Act Alliance, We Have Faith and PACJA was launched in Mozambique to raise the voices of people at the forefront of a changing climate. See www.facebook.com/actclimate  As of now, almost 100 cyclists are cycling through the 8th country, Tanzania on the way to the final destination in Nairobi Kenya. Members and professional cyclists are pedaling through Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania to Nairobi, Kenya, rallying communities along the way to push leaders to commit their nations to an ambitious climate agreement in Paris. The ACT climate petition, which the cyclists are urging their people to sign, calls for a global commitment to keep average temperature rise below 1.5°C.
The message of ACT now for climate justice, reads, “Tell the World's Leaders: Climate change affects everyone but especially the most poor and vulnerable people. We call on you to cut carbon emissions drastically, and to help the world’s poorest to cope with the impacts of climate change while developing in a sustainable way.”