On November 29, the leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada, the United Church of Canada and KAIROS Canada wrote to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The four leaders shared the World Council of Churches’ Statement on COP 28’s Responsibility for Climate Justice.
“We pray that you and the Government of Canada will be leaders in addressing the urgent existential threat of climate change as a matter of fundamental moral responsibility to the current and all future generations of life on earth,” the letter concludes.
Read the full letter below, or download it here:
Dear Prime Minister,
As representatives of Canadian churches who are members of the World Council of Churches (WCC), we write today to share with you the WCC Statement on Cop 28’s Responsibility for Climate Justice (attached).
The letter begins by observing that climate scientists are projecting that this year will break all previous records of global warming and will prove to have been the hottest year in the past 125,000 years.
It goes on to affirm our belief in a God of justice that will “let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24), and that as Christians, we are obliged to act for justice. These words are an effective summary of why Canadian churches are deeply concerned about the climate crisis.
The WCC Calls on all governments to act now on phasing out fossil fuels which account for 75% of greenhouse gas emissions. This includes ending fossil fuel subsidies, providing financing for more vulnerable and low-income nations, and acting for a just transition that protects the rights of Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable groups as well as ensuring that no worker, community or country is left behind.
The WCC calls on COP28 to rise above international conflicts in order to act collectively;
to make operational the Loss and Damage Fund established at COP27, and to rapidly deliver climate finance that gives climate-vulnerable nations and communities a chance to adapt to the consequences of climate change.As the statement urges, our churches will be praying and appealing for leaders gathering for COP28 to act resolutely, supporting young people in their efforts to protect their future, and calling on our members to ‘walk the talk’, making the necessary lifestyle changes and taking the actions required for a sustainable future for all.
We pray that you and the Government of Canada will be leaders in addressing the urgent existential threat of climate change as a matter of fundamental moral responsibility to the current and all future generations of life on earth.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Susan C. Johnson
National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in CanadaThe Rev. Dr. Michael Blair
General Secretary, General Council, The United Church of CanadaThe Most Rev. Linda Nicholls
Archbishop & Primate, Anglican Church of CanadaLeah Reesor-Keller, MA
Interim Executive Director, KAIROS Canada
