Rite & Reason: Faith groups key force in climate activism

It has been eight months since world leaders gathered in Glasgow for the much-hyped Cop26 climate summit, a high-powered gathering of global leaders, activists and experts heralded as a big turning point for critical action on climate change.

Providing the backdrop for the summit was first part of the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a mammoth scientific assessment of how greenhouse gas pollution is heating the planet. It was described by UN secretary general António Guterre as a “code red for humanity”.

I attended Cop26 in my role as Laudato Sí officer with Trócaire. Laudato si’ (Praise Be to You) is the 2015 encyclical of Pope Francis. It has the subtitle “on care for our common home” and dealt with global warming.

I witnessed two Cop versions in Glasgow. The first was the one attended by world leaders which took place inside the UN conference halls known as the Blue Zone. The second one was on the streets where thousands of activists, including many from the global south, gathered in solidarity pleading with political leaders to act now.

Campus couture: NCAD fashion students root collections in autobiography

---

Holidaymakers are playing a game of chicken with airlines – and it’s paying off

---

‘You’re wasting my time’: Audio recording prompts father of autistic boy to complain of emotional abuse at school

---

Jennifer Zamparelli would have been worth fighting for. But if The 2 Johnnies ‘were never ours’, why hire them?

---

This movement on the “outside” was powerful with representation from the world’s faith communities: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and many more who had gathered in Glasgow advocating for change. Vigils took place every day as people of all faiths sat in silent meditation and prayer for the success of these critical talks.

`Our common home’

The energy and stirring of the thousands of people who held vigil in Glasgow were inspiring to witness and be a part of. This has stayed with me.

In advance of the crucial Cop26 summit, Pope Francis and 40 world religious leaders issued an unprecedented joint statement appealing for decisive international political decisions “to safeguard, restore and heal our wounded humanity and the home entrusted to our stewardship”. Future generations, the statement said, “will never forgive us if we miss the opportunity to protect our common home”. These words hung outside the Cop26 meeting rooms.

But eight months on, have things changed?

In February and April, the IPPC published two further damning reports flagged as a final warning for governments on the climate crisis. It signalled that the world could still hope to stave off the worst ravages of climate breakdown but only through a real commitment to a low-carbon economy and society.

The climate crisis is having a devastating impact in the Horn of Africa, where Trócaire works. According to the World Food Programme, severe drought is leaving an estimated 13 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia facing severe hunger.

In Somalia alone, three consecutive failed rainy seasons have decimated crops and caused abnormally high livestock deaths. Shortages of water and pasture are forcing families from their homes and leading to increased conflict between communities. Our team there is reporting an unfolding crisis of epic proportions with people dying of hunger.

Hunger in Africa

Compounding this climate-induced crisis is the war in Ukraine which is being felt across Africa, a continent heavily reliant on food imports from Ukraine and Russia. Within a few weeks, wheat, sunflower oil and fuel prices have soared to unprecedented levels.

International aid funds are being channelled to Ukraine, which is the right thing to do. However, unless these are treated as additional to existing humanitarian funds, this will reduce funding for other crises, creating a perfect storm for the millions already struggling.

Likewise, the climate finance which has been promised by richer countries must be delivered in addition to overseas aid and increased based on actual need. Given that the poorest half of the world’s population are responsible for just 10 per cent of historical emissions, this is a matter of justice.

While Cop26 did not deliver all the urgent actions required to respond to the climate catastrophe, the strong mobilisation of faith groups in climate activism surely gives hope.

There was power in marching in solidarity at Cop26 with activists of all faiths and people from countries on the front lines of climate change. Working together can put pressure on our leaders and decision-makers to progress climate action.

Some 80 per cent of people globally profess to be members of a faith community. There are 220,000 Catholic parishes in the world. Imagine the grassroots action that can be encouraged across all faith groups to drive climate action.

Cop26 may be over, and we are heading into Cop27 in October. The big challenge facing activists is harnessing the energy for change and translating it into action. The faith-based activist community has no intention of stopping. There is too much at stake.

Jane Mellett is Laudato Sí officer at Trócaire