Weekly Action - 14 November 2022 - COP 27
COP 27
This week is the second and final week of the COP 27 UN climate negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The stakes couldn’t be higher in this annual gathering which brings together the nations of the world to agree the actions necessary to halt global climate change. Runaway climate change is already resulting in rising sea levels, more extreme storms, changing seasons, failing crops, droughts, flooding and other severe impacts, like the current drought in East Africa and the floods in Pakistan. All of this is impacting the world’s poorest countries and communities hardest.
After many years of negotiation, the governments of the world reached the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015. This committed them to limit global average temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. (1.5 degrees is the level the world’s scientists agree we must stay below to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.) Since then the talks have focused on making the progress needed to achieve that goal. In essence this comes down to two things: cuts in the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, and finance.
Each nation has set out the cuts in greenhouse gas emissions it intends to make, and these have become more ambitious over time through negotiation. But this is very hard for the world’s developing countries, who have witnessed rich countries develop their nations through fossil fuel energy and overconsumption of natural resources, and are now being told they cannot do the same, and must instead develop through renewable energy and green economies. They are willing to do this, but need support. Therefore, the talks also focus on agreeing finance from developed countries to help developing countries get off fossil fuels and onto clean renewable energy. This finance is also crucial to help them adapt to the impacts of climate change they are already experiencing, and to compensate them for the loss and damage that has already occurred in their nations, as a result of the greenhouse gasses rich nations have burnt over decades.
Stalled progress
However, progress at COP 27 has been limited. Global inflation, energy crises, economic turmoil, the war in Ukraine, and many other issues are distracting world leaders from the crucial need to urgently tackle the climate crisis. If implemented in full, current greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets would limit global average temperature rise to 2.4 degrees, still far off the 1.5 degree level we need to reach. And commitments on climate finance have also been woefully inadequate, including developed countries still not delivering the full $100 billion a year for developing countries that has long been promised, and itself is merely the beginning of what is needed.
As Christians what should we do about it?
As Christians we know we are called both to care for God’s amazing creation, and to love our neighbours, especially the most vulnerable. We need to meet immediate urgent needs for those whose lives have already been devastated by climate change, by delivering the climate finance that is so desperately needed. And we also need to tackle the long-term underlying causes, and urgently get out of fossil fuels which are driving global climate change, and instead shift to 100% clean renewable energy, which does not lead to climate change, and is cheaper as well.
Arise’s 4 Shifts Campaign calls for a rewiring of our global economy to be green and fair, so it still creates the jobs and wealth that lift people out of poverty, but does so without relying on fossil fuels and overconsumption which is wrecking our planet. As part of that campaign we need to transition as rapidly as possible to 100% clean renewable energy. This means not just delivering on the commitments in the Paris Agreement on climate change, but going further and bringing them forward, so the world scales down the use of fossil fuels to zero emissions and scales up clean energy to 100% by 2030, banning the future use of fossil fuels. The world’s governments need to bring in national climate change laws to implement it in every sector (energy, transport, buildings, industry etc.) in every nation.
Will you take action as part of Arise’s 4 Shifts campaign this week, to meet the immediate needs of communities being impacted by climate change and to shift to a clean energy economy?
Take Action
Speak out in advocacy
Write to your MP in your own words asking them to take urgent action to:
1. Urge the government to bring forward and strengthen the UK’s plans to transition out of fossil fuels, so that we shift to zero emissions and 100% clean renewable energy, and ban the use of fossil fuels by 2030. Implement this in every sector (energy, transport, buildings, industry etc.)
2. Meet immediate needs of communities in developing countries who are being impacted by climate change, by urging the government to significantly increasing the UK’s contribution to the $100 billion in climate finance long promised to the world’s poorest nations.
Find your MP, and their contact details here
Pray
Pray for all those devastated by the impacts by the climate change, such as floods in Pakistan and drought in East Africa. Pray that their needs for food, water, shelter, clean toilets, medical supplies and new jobs and livelihoods are met. Pray for greater breakthrough and progress at the COP27 talks.
Give
Give to Christian organisations like Christian Aid, Cafod, Tearfund or World Vision who are supporting the poorest communities impacted by climate change around the world.
Practical Action
Reduce your own energy use by using cars less, and walking, cycling or using public transport more. If you fly, consider reducing or ending entirely the number of flights you take, and holidaying at home, not abroad.
Ethical Consumption
Speed the shift to a 100% clean energy economy by switching you electricity provider to a renewable energy company like Ecotricity or Good Energy.
Encourage us and others by letting us know what actions you have taken – message us at info@ariseuk.org, or via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Find out more
It’s great to take this action as individual Christians, but even better to come together with others to pray, discuss, worship, learn, have fun and take action together. Contact Arise if you are interested in joining or starting a local Arise group in your church or area. If you are already in an Arise group, take this action to your wider church, and get them all to do it too.
Find out more about why the world needs 4 Shifts to transition to a green and fair global economy in Arise’s 4 Shifts Report, and how this forms part of God’s bigger vision for our world in the Arise Manifesto.
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