Living the change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Global Warning coincides with the launch of a new initiative by Quakers
Britain Yearly Meeting and the Friends World Committee for Consultation brought together faith leaders and representatives from the Buddhist, Brahma Kumaris, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim and Quaker communities on Monday 8 October for an interfaith celebration of sustainable living to coincide with the major report on climate change released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This week is also the global Week of Living the Change.
The IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C delivered an unequivocal message, described by scientists as the ‘final call’ – that the world must act now to avoid climate catastrophe – and Quakers have called for a bold national climate policy to be implemented.
Faith and religious communities worldwide are signalling an escalation of their climate commitments in response to the release of the IPCC Special Report. The report shows the world lagging dangerously far behind the emissions reductions needed to avoid catastrophic levels of climate change.
The latest findings highlight the importance of changes in human behaviour and lifestyles alongside strong governance, policy and finance for a chance to hold the global mean surface temperature (GMST) to 1.5°C.
The report warns of melting sea ice, dying corals and rising sea levels. These effects are, it states, inevitable with any level of global warming, but the conclusion of the report is that they would be far worse if the temperature increase is 2°C. The report, which warns that there is only twelve years for global warming to be kept to a minimum of 1.5°C, took two years to produce and involved an assessment of 6,000 scientific studies. It was commissioned by the United Nations in the wake of the Paris climate agreement of 2015.
According to the findings in the IPCC report: ‘In the US and Europe, greenhouse gas emissions are lower when legislators have strong environmental records’.
Guests at the interfaith celebration shared a vegan meal, created by Friends House Hospitality Ltd. The meal recognised the potential impact of plant-based diets on emissions reductions, when followed on global scales. The latest IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C finds that ‘dietary shifts could contribute one-fifth of the mitigation needed to hold warming below 2°C’.
During the evening guests heard inspiring and personal testimonies from people of faith on their journey with sustainable living. The speakers included Harfiyah Haleem, of the IFEES EcoIslam & Muslim Women’s Collective, Tower Hamlets; Ruth Valerio, of Tearfund; Laura Miller, of Eco Synagogues; and Andrea Hosfeld, of the London branch of Dharma Action Network for Climate Engagement.
Juliet Prager, deputy recording clerk of Britain Yearly Meeting, said: ‘Quakers always welcome opportunities to work with other faith groups. Recently we’ve worked together to engage our government on the UK’s climate policy, and make our case for strong climate ambition.’
She continued: ‘As the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C makes clear, we need strong leadership on climate change, bold policies, and large-scale investment in a green economy. Locally, people of all faiths and none are taking action – but that can only be transformative in the right policy context.’
Gretchen Castle, general secretary of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), said: ‘As people of faith, we are motivated by a spiritual imperative to sustain life on earth. Quakers are among those who recognise a personal and collective responsibility to take action so that the poorest and most vulnerable people do not suffer as a consequence of our actions.
‘Tonight, we are sharing learnings and celebrating our sustainability journeys, across our diverse faith communities. Together, people of faith worldwide have the potential to achieve significant reductions in levels of carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. Together, we call on the government to demonstrate strong leadership and climate ambition to ensure a 1.5°C future.’
The global Week of Living the Change runs from 7-14 October 2018.
Further information: www.livingthechange.net/global-week
