What is COP 26 and why should you care?
In Saving Us Katherine Hayhoe estimates that “Individual choices control at most 40% of emissions in wealthy countries”. Minimising our personal impact on the planet is still important for many reasons. However, alone it wont save us or bring about the better future a green transition could provide to us, our brothers and sisters across the globe and future generations.
At COP 26 nations will discuss their plans to limit emissions to the targets they agreed in 2015. We are currently not on track and COP 26 is possibly our last chance to adjust our trajectory so we can avoid catastrophic climate change (although some areas are already experiencing this).
We should care, simply, because of love. We love God and our purpose on this planet is to do God’s work. In fact Jesus himself said that “By this everyone will know you are my disciples” (John 13: 35). We also know:
· We are to care for Creation (Genesis 2:15)
· We are to care for the poor (1 John 3:17)
· We are to speak up for the oppressed (Isaiah 1: 17)
Love, the guiding principle of our faith and the source of which is God, is what makes the climate crisis a priority for all Christians and COP 26 is a unique opportunity to demonstrate your faith. If you’d like a more detailed explanation, this Tearfund article is a great start.
We need political and corporate change to bring about a brighter future and that’s why Christians engaging with COP 26 is so crucial. To find out what you can do look out for a separate email on this next week.
“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).
Claire Williams