CHRISTIANS en masse lobbied Parliament on Wednesday, urging more than 300 MPs to treat the climate crisis as an urgent priority (Comment, 4 July).
There was, the campaigners told them, a “moral case” for accelerating the transition to clean energy and supporting those on the front lines of the climate crisis.
The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, who is the Church of England’s lead bishop for the environment, was among the church leaders who supported the Ac Now, Change Forever mass lobbying exercise. He said that raising the alarm about the climate crisis was not an “optional extra” for the Church.
“As a Christian, I believe that caring for the climate is important because it honours God’s call to look after the earth and to love our neighbours, including those on the front line of the severe impact of climate change,” he said.
“Standing alongside people of different faiths at the mass lobby will emphasise that together we share a common concern and seek the common good because climate change impacts all areas of life — food production, the natural environment, health, community resilience, migration, conflict and war. It is making the world less stable.
“My prayer is that politicians, indeed all of us, will truly wake up to the urgency of the threat and take urgent action on our carbon emissions. This is not an optional extra for the ministry of the Church, it is an imperative for the mission of God’s Church.”
The event was co-ordinated by the Climate Coalition, an umbrella organisation of charities including Christian Aid and CAFOD, and touched on preparations for November’s UN COP30 climate summit.
“As COP30 approaches, we face the stark reality that over 93 per cent of climate-vulnerable countries are trapped in a debt crisis, undermining their ability to respond to climate related disasters and protect their communities,” CAFOD’s chief executive, Christine Allen, said.
“People of faith from across the UK are uniting in Westminster to urge MPs to act now. This mass lobby is a key moment during the Jubilee Year to speak out and demand change. The UK must lead bold global reforms to cancel unjust debt and unlock funds to fight a crisis these countries did least to cause. This is about justice — and urgent action.”
Joe Ware is senior climate journalist at Christian Aid.
