Ensuring Climate Justice is doing “God’s will”, African Faith leaders assert

Libreville, Gabon, August 28, 2022: African Faith leaders said in Libreville, Gabon that ensuring climate justice for the vulnerable communities while taking care of the environment is doing God’s will.  They were speaking at a pre-event to the Africa Climate Week which is set for August 29.

At a joint session of the African faith leaders and the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, Dr. Ezekiel Lesmore, Director of Programmes, All Africa Conferences of Churches said religion cannot be kept outside the conversation around climate Justice since all religions subscribe to healthy interaction between different spheres of life on earth.

“We recognise the continent of Africa is a religious continent, our religiousness informs our engagement with issues of ecological Justice, economic Justice, gender issues and politics,” he said.

He said such engagement should inspire to ask critical questions on faith, belief systems that motivate one to speak truth to powerholders in a way that neither politicise the issues of climate justice nor reduce the issue to economics. “It must be clear that climate change is a matter of life and death,” he said. 

The All Africa Conference of Churches with its other network, The African Faith Actors Network on climate Justice noted that they are working towards the will of God in heaven to ensure that this will be done on earth. Climate Justice should address inequality, all forms of historical injustices Africa and hope to have transparent accountable and steward led conversation for every step we take for climate action.

Charles Mwangi, Head of Programs, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance said PACJA in partnership with AACC entered into an MoU to bring on board the faith actors in the fight against Climate Change. This has successfully been operationalized. 

Mwangi said, conservation is a responsibility and a clarion call for all creation to respond in taking care of the environment.

Prof. Seth Osafo, Legal Advisor, Africa Group of Negotiators noted that since entry of the Faith groups into the climate justice discussions, there have been intelligent talk on the creation. He said the planet was made to take care of it. We have the responsibility of taking care of the planet. “When we take care of our planet, we will be fulfilling our accountability to our creator,” he said adding that man has lived and interacted with nature and respected it but this interaction overtime has eroded this bringing about conflict with nature, and pollution.