Hope as a ‘strategy’ for climate justice

From #Greenfaith

It’s time for people of faith to give up on hope as a strategy for climate justice, and instead to embrace resistance.

Register for 9 December Welcome Call to get connected and involved. On this call, you will be introduced to the GreenFaith strategy and theory of change, as well as how you can get more involved in the work of inspiring, organizing, and training people of faith and spirit around the world to respond to climate change and environmental issues. This call (in English) will be on Thursday, Dec 9th at 8am PT/10amCT/11am ET (that’s Friday 2.30am in Adelaide!!) and 5pm PT/7pm CT/8pm ET (Friday 11.30am in Adelaide).

COP26 was a reminder that the world’s governments are unwilling to meet the emergency we face.  

• COP26 was full of pledges – to lower methane emissions, end deforestation, transition away from coal. But all of these pledges are voluntary, and echo prior voluntary pledges that governments and industry have failed to meet. In the face of an approaching disaster, “voluntary” is not enough.
• A decade ago, the world’s wealthiest countries pledged to pay $100 billion per year by 2020 to help the world’s poorest countries to reduce their own emissions and to adapt to a hotter world. These wealthy countries have still failed to pay that amount in full, while small islands face rising seas and millions of farmers across Africa and Asia face droughts and floods.
• Governments have refused to set a clear timetable for phasing out fossil fuels, which are the primary cause of climate change. Instead, more and more countries are starry-eyed about unproven technological solutions which would entrench the status quo.

These outcomes make it clear: hope is not a strategy for climate justice. Resistance is.

That’s why #Greenfaith joined the 100,000 person march in Glasgow, whose size sent a powerful message to politicians and business leaders around the world. #Greenfaith’s Rev. Dr. Neddy Astudillo spoke to this massive crowd at the rally following the march, saying “We will not stop until we have a world governed by compassion, love, and justice.”

We will not waver in our call for an end to new fossil fuel development and deforestation, funding for access to renewable energy for absolutely everyone, and a just, equitable transition for impacted workers and communities.

When we work together across our lines of faith we make the world more compassionate, loving, and just. 

Consider joining the 9 December Welcome Call, where #Greenfaith will share their plans for the coming year – plans that draw on deepest convictions and that inspire moral resistance to the Earth’s destruction.  

Hope is not a strategy for climate justice. Resistance is.

From Rev. Fletcher and the GreenFaith Crew