On Climate Change
The WCC welcomes and appreciates Your Excellency’s initiative to include the issue of climate change on the agenda of G8. Since 1990, the Council has actively supported actions to address global climate change. It has in particular supported the people and churches in the Pacific who are beginning to experience the effect and consequences of global warming. The G8 countries must accept responsibility for record emissions over decades and for about 80% of the increase in concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution and for the current emissions that are almost 50% of the total global emissions. We are alarmed that emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are still on the increase.
The WCC has frequently called for justice for those people and environments that are most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. We urge G8 members:
- to take decisive action for rapid greenhouse gas emission reduction;
- to develop a strategic plan for committed global action – post 2012 when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol will end.
The World Council of Churches prayerfully hopes for the positive outcome of G8 deliberations that result in significant measures to protect God’s creation by addressing the global climate change issue.
The WCC sends its prayers to the meeting of the G8 and urges that the contents of this pastoral letter be taken seriously. WCC will continue to monitor the decisions of the G8 to see the extent to which issues of equity and justice are addressed. It is our hope that God’s wisdom will prevail so that just and equitable sharing of global resources will dominate the discussions at Gleneagles, Scotland.
My deepest prayer is that God will grant you this wisdom.
Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia
General Secretary
Pauline J. Chang
Christian Today Correspondent
