At Synod earlier this month The Revd Craig Muir, chair of our JPIC group (Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation), urged more churches to engage with the Eco Church programme. Here, associate member Charles Jolly brings us the following updates on action for the environment at both international and local church levels.
COP 29, Baku, Azerbaijan, November 11–22 2024
Pastor Edmund Sears penned a much-loved carol in war-torn 1849, expressing hope that God is at work despite all the terrible chaos and strife:
“For lo!, the days are hastening on, by prophet bards foretold,
when with the ever-circling years comes round the age of gold.”
The ever-circling years have brought us to COP29 on Climate Change and also to COP16 on Biological Diversity (Oct 21-Nov 1 in Cali, Colombia) and COP 16 on the Convention to Combat Desertification (Dec 2-13 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). These are three Conventions created at the pivotal 1992 Rio UN Conference on Environment and Development. As climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification accelerate, the interconnections between them amplify, creating a vicious circle which requires an increasingly united approach for its resolution.
We may imagine there's little that we, as individuals, can do but the truth is the opposite. This is a spiritual battle and, as John Wesley is cited as saying: “Work and preach as if everything depended on you, but pray as if everything depended on God.” Government and industries have the basic tools and know what needs to be done, but lack political will and need public demand for rapid, radical action. Yes, we can and must ourselves change (for example, see 'New Eco Church Survey' below) but it's vital to persuade business and government decision-makers to finance much more mitigation, adaptation and compensation for climate change loss & damage
The central aim of COP 16 is to develop a practical plan to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which was agreed in principle at COP 15.
Meanwhile, Desertification is the focus of COP 16, which aims to raise ambition and accelerate action on land restoration and drought resilience between now and 2030.
The several ambitious aims of Climate Change COP 29 this year include:
- Ensuring that the Nationally Determined Contributions of different countries for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which will be fully updated next year, will keep global warming well within 2.0°C (if possible within 1.5°C).
- Setting a collective goal for international finance to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions drastically, adapt to climate change and, not least, repair loss and damage. Estimates for 2025 onwards vary, but require upwards from $500 billion annually; an eye-watering sum, but a lot less than the costs of inaction! For more information, see: https://www.wri.org/un-climate-change-conference-resource-hub/key-issues .
New Eco Church Survey
The good news is that the new Eco Church Survey was published in October. This is not simply a revision but a refresh, with options that are relevant to churches of all descriptions.
The questions are realistic in working towards gold and supportive in working towards net zero. One big change for churches with no land is that you can get credit for being involved with and supporting other community groups.
However, if you have a survey under way under the old scheme, then you have until the end of January to complete it.
Creation care is an integral part of faith so please take a look: visit https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/eco-church-survey/ .