The annual Our Faith Our Planet Conference was held at The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester on 26 October.
We heard presentations from representatives of the major faith traditions on local and national initiatives as well as The Mayor of Greater Manchester on the outcomes of the recent Greater Manchester Green Summit. We reflected together on the asks being made of our Government and of world leaders by “Christian Aid” and “Operation Noah”.
In roundtable workshops we then answered the question “What do we want to say as Our Faith Our Planet to COP27?”. We agreed that we would send the fruit of our conversation to Alok Sharma as the current President of COP.
Following the event, I have sent the following to Alok Sharma on behalf of all at the Conference:
Our message to COP27 is “Be Brave”. Don’t stop short this time.
This is what we want to say to you and to COP27:
On Loss and Damage:
“The countries who are least responsible for the climate crisis are the ones who are suffering the most.”
“Those who have made the least impact on the climate are paying literally with their lives.”
“Listen to those most affected and address this now.”
“An international loss and damage fund is of upmost importance, and long overdue.”
We request that you do all you can to ensure the negotiations at COP27 produce an international finance mechanism for Loss and Damage. Loss and Damage gained some momentum at COP26 last year but it ultimately failed to establish any funding on loss and damage. Instead, it created the Glasgow Dialogue for discussion on Loss and Damage. A discussion forum is not enough in the face of the untold damage and irreversible losses that are happening today. The UK must take the opportunity of COP27 to push negotiations forward and make tangible commitments to the dedicated sources of international finance that are so desperately needed.
On Fossil Fuels:
We are looking for leadership in disinvestment from fossil fuels and not reinvesting.
What is actually going to change as a result of simply having conversations about the long-term position?
We need firm commitments and significant changes urgently.
On Collaboration:
It is encouraging to see how bigger groups are engaging and working together.
We need the bigger groups to work to influence the even bigger groups – individuals -> churches -> interfaith -> national -> global.
We need ambitious global goals and achievable local aims.
We want to press for more funding for local government initiatives to support local community collaborations.
It would be good to highlight success stories and the simple and cheap actions that everyone can do.
People are very reluctant to bear costs but so much of this comes down to money so the government must invest in what matters.
“There is no economy if the world burns!”
We need incentives to businesses to change their processes and working methods to effect change.
On Promises:
Countries must, with urgency, honour the promises they made in the Paris Agreement.
Promises need policing otherwise they’re pointless!
We remember that billions were promised in climate finance to countries of the global south.
We ask COP27 to hold to this promise and also to ask governments of former colonial powers to consider reparations for the legacies of slavery alongside this.
There needs to be more media focus and scrutiny between COP events not just during the conferences themselves to ensure promises are kept.
On Decision-Making:
The right people need to be at the policy and decision-making table – especially young, female and disadvantaged.
We want you to listen to and learn from indigenous peoples, remembering that 5% of the global population look after 80% of the earth’s biodiversity.
On Other Matters:
Do not allow “green growth” to gloss over the major issues.
Ban car adverts – take the smoking journey.
We ask governments of richer countries not to exploit what others have, for example by exporting toxic rubbish and filling the seas and air with pollution – and to introduce stricter penalties for this, and stricter legislation.
We honour the environmental activists currently in prison, all over the world, and ask and pray for their release.
Revd. Ian Rutherford, City Centre Minister
Methodist Central Hall Manchester