Quakers join world faiths in calling for bolder action as COP27 negotiations stall
World representatives gathered at COP27 must make bold decisions now if they are to protect the most vulnerable people and communities, faith leaders have said as negotiations hang in the balance.
Quakers added their voice to faiths from around the globe in urging leaders to preserve all of God's creation by recognizing the urgency of the crisis. People are already dying and livelihoods being lost as a result of climate change, they said.
A recent poll for the Guardian newspaper (read here) shows that a majority of the UK population think the country has a responsibility to pay for climate action in poorer and vulnerable countries.
But there has been little progress at COP27, especially on climate finance, including adaptation and loss and damage finance.
“Time is running out and it is unacceptable if world leaders do not take clear and decisive action within the few remaining days of COP 27," the statement, signed by Paul Parker, recording clerk of Quakers in Britain, said.
The faith leaders called on COP27 to
- Recognize the urgency of the crisis
- Establish a new funding facility for loss and damage
- Ensure richer governments meeting their commitment to $100 billion per year for adaptation and mitigation
- Ensure wealthy countries cancel debt, provide adequate new finance, and a loss and damage facility
- Ensure gender is no longer siloed but a clear gender transformative climate action lens be applied in all climate work
Signatories to the statement include Pax Christi International, Archbishop Thomas Schirrmacher of the World Evangelical Alliance, Angelious Michael of the National Council of Churches in India, Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, Acting Secretary General of the World Council of Churches, and Bishop Ivan M. Abrahams, Secretary General of the World Methodist Council.