Faith actors demand space in climate change discourses

Issues related to climate change policy is a moral obligation and spiritual responsibility by the faith actors who can no longer seat on the sidelines, Rev. Dr. Lesmore Ezekiel, programme director at the All African Conference of Churches (AACC) said in Abuja, Nigeria during the CountDown to COP26 workshop.

Dr Ezekiel said that the faith leaders in Africa state unequivocally that Climate Change remains a serious existential threat facing humanity.

“We are obligated by our life-affirming faith to demand from State and Non State Actors to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a sense of urgency to respond to the effects of climate change,” he said.

He noted that the clamour for faith leaders to be brought at the centre of climate change discourses is a convergence of like minds from the CSOs, governments and Faith actors to speak against the climate justice.

Faith leaders are to draw to the attention of most governments leaders on their accountability to duty, to protect the environment by delivering on fair and just climate justice to all, duties of which they assumed either by swearing to the bible or Quran. “It is not about I or you, but about our common humanity and ecology that incorporates,” he noted.

The faith leaders, according to Dr Ezekiel, urged the COP26 Presidency to bring back the trust and confidence that is needed in negotiations to ensure that the climate negotiations take into consideration historical climate injustices in order to ensure accountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation (transitional justice approach).

They also urged African governments to mainstream climate change in development planning to achieve Paris Agreement commitments and enact and enforce laws and policies that are responsive to climate change. They noted that the COVID-19 recovery strategies should be aligned with Paris Agreement commitments especially in areas that contribute to achieving the NDCs targets.