BYM calls for G7 action on climate justice
‘As people of faith, we cannot stand by while world leaders continue to delay action…'
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) joined dozens of other faith bodies in signing an open letter calling on the UK government to use its G7 presidency to drive real progress on climate justice.
‘As people of faith, we cannot stand by while world leaders continue to delay action… From the Pacific islands to sub-Saharan Africa, from Bangladesh to Brazil, the climate crisis is a present reality for the world’s poorest people,’ said the interfaith letter. It asks the government to end the use of UK public money to subsidise fossil fuels and to conduct a peer review of its financial support for fossil fuels. It also calls for the government to support the creation of an international loss and damage financing facility and to explore sources of financing to fund it.
‘As Quakers we believe we need to act in ways that promote fairness and the right sharing of world resources,’ said Paul Parker, recording clerk for BYM. ‘This is especially true in Britain, a country that has historically and currently taken more than its fair share. The UK must urgently end its reliance on fossil fuels and ensure [avoiding] loss and damage for the most vulnerable countries is at the heart of both international talks.’
The letter follows the publication last week of the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s first ever full scenario report aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. The report states that in order to remain within the 1.5°C target in the Paris Agreement, all new fossil fuel development must cease this year.
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