WCC NEWS: WCC central committee urges new commission and more urgent action on climate change

The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee, in a statement on climate change, urged consideration by the WCC 11th Assembly and governing bodies “of the establishment of a new Commission on Climate Change and Sustainable Development in order to bring the appropriate focus to this issue in this pivotal period.” Wind turbine forests stretching throughout the mountain range in Roan, once home to the indigenous Sami communities in the south of Norway. Photo: Joy Eva Bohol/WCC 18 June 2022 The statement also condemns “the exploitation, degradation and the violation of Creation to satisfy the greed of humanity,” and urges “all member churches and ecumenical partners around the world to give the climate emergency the priority attention that a crisis of such unprecedented and all-encompassing dimensions deserves, both in word and deed, and to amplify their efforts to demand the necessary action by their respective governments within the necessary timeframe to limit global warming to 1.5°C, and to meet historic responsibilities to poorer, more vulnerable nations and communities.” Among other actions, the WCC governing body also appeals “to all members of the global ecumenical family – churches, organizations, communities, families and individuals – to ’walk the talk’ and to take such actions as they are able in their own contexts, noting in a global context that the action or inaction of one country disproportionately negatively impacts vulnerable countries.” The statement also encourages “efforts to promote climate-responsible finance in the affairs of all members of the global ecumenical family, by ensuring that through our pension funds, banks and other financial service arrangements we are not complicit in financing climate-destroying fossil fuel industries but are supporting the accelerated development of an economy based on sustainable renewable energy and mutual solidarity.” WCC Central Committee Statement on the Imperative for Effective Response to the Climate Emergency WCC Central committee meeting, June 2022 WCC's work on Care for creation and climate justice   See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland