Weekly Action - 30 January 2023 - Fossil Fuel Influence in Climate Talks
Fossil Fuel Influence in Climate Talks
Concerns are growing around the world about the inappropriate influence of the fossil fuel industry in UN negotiations on climate change. On 12 January, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology in the United Arab Emirates, and the CEO of the national oil company Adnoc, was appointed as President of COP 28, the next major UN climate negations in Dubai starting later this year. Around the world questions have been raised about how the CEO of an oil company that is planning to almost double its output by 2027, can at the same time legitimately lead international talks to end global climate change, which is overwhelmingly being driven by just such fossil fuel production. The move is part of a wider pattern, which saw hundreds of fossil fuel industry lobbyists attend last year’s COP 27 talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Even more are expected at the COP 28 talks in Dubai this year. This has prompted widespread fear that UN climate negotiations, the best chance the world has for halting and reversing global climate change, are being hijacked by fossil fuel industry lobbyists, and risk losing all legitimacy.
The scientific evidence is now overwhelming that human made greenhouse gas emissions, the vast majority of which come from the burning of fossil fuels, build up in our atmosphere, trapping more heat from the sun than would otherwise be the case, dangerously increasing warming and 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. All of this is impacting the world’s poorest countries and communities hardest. People like Paul, a subsistence farmer living near Harare, Zimbabwe. He has farmed the land for more than 30 years with his children, and now grandchildren. He says there used to be 5 months of rain a year, now there is only 3, and it is getting less all the time. Also it used to come at regular times, following the seasons. Now the rains are unpredictable, they don’t come when they are due and crops dry up, then they come all at once and drown crops. Millions more like Paul and his family are already being impacted terribly by changing climate. In the past 6 months alone, we have seen a massive and tragic food crisis in East Africa, devastating floods in Pakistan, and record temperatures in the UK and Europe.
So what’s the solution?
The solution is clear, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to zero as rapidly as possible. In reality that means shifting out of polluting fossil fuels and into 100% clean renewable energy, which does not lead to climate change, and is cheaper as well. In pursuit of this aim, 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 UN climate negotiations have focused on making the progress needed to achieve that goal. Of course there is still need for governments to work with the fossil fuel industry (which has played an important role in providing energy in the past), as it rapidly phases down to zero and new clean energy comes on stream. But the idea that fossil fuel industry representatives, who have such a clear vested interest in undermining progress in UN climate negotiations, can have such leadership and dominance over the talks, will strike many as indefensible.
As Christians what should we do about it?
A major report from Arise, the 4 Shifts Report, explores what the Bible has to say about God’s creation, and our relationship with it (4 Shifts Report, pg 64 – 69). We see in this, that God’s creation is good, and it belongs to him. As the Psalms tells us, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24: 1). Furthermore, we read in Genesis how humanity has been instructed by God to “take care of it” (Gen 2: 15). We are also called to “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt 22: 39). As Christians in the twenty-first century then, we must do all we can to halt and reverse global climate change that is devastating God’s creation, and harming our global neighbours.
Based on the findings of the report, 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 this 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 this in every sector (energy, transport, buildings, industry etc.) in every nation. With such a dramatic and rapid programme of change desperately needed, there can be no place for fossil fuel industry leaders and lobbyists to hold such sway at the crucially important UN negotiations on climate change.
Will you take action as part of Arise’s 4 Shifts campaign this week, to get fossil fuel interests out of UN climate negotiations and speed the 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 demand from the UN and the United Arab Emirates that Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber should be immediately replaced as President of COP 28, and all fossil fuel lobbyists banned from the UN climate negotiations, to ensure no conflict of interest.
2. Urge the government to bring forward and strengthen the UK’s own 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.)
Find your MP, and their contact details here
Pray
Pray that all fossil fuel interests will be removed from UN climate talks. Pray for a rapid shift to 100% clean renewable energy in the UK and around the world. Pray for all those devastated by the impacts of climate change. Pray that their needs for food, water, shelter, clean toilets, medical supplies and new jobs and livelihoods are met.
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
Spread the message further by getting in touch with us at info@ariseuk.org and requesting a speaker from Arise to come and give a talk in your church.
Ethical Consumption
Speed the shift to a 100% clean energy economy by switching your car (if you have one) from petrol to electric. Do some research, it’s not as expensive as it sounds. There are more and more second hand models on the market with good range, and cheaper options of leasing and paying in instalments are available. It’s the future.
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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