Faith communities in South Sydney and Australia-wide “sounded the alarm” on March 11 for climate justice. One hundred and thirty-five events – some making a noise, some holding a silence in noisy places – took place across Australia as part of a global multifaith day of action on the climate involving faith communities in 43 countries.
These communities from diverse religious traditions are alarmed at the yawning gap between what is required to limit global temperature rise and actual commitments by governments and financial institutions.
In a “Sacred People, Sacred Earth” statement, they released a set of powerful demands for world leaders to address the injustice and impacts that the climate crisis is inflicting on communities worldwide.
The statement calls on governments and banks to immediately end their support for new fossil fuel infrastructure and tropical deforestation, commit to universal access to clean and affordable energy, enact policies creating green jobs and a just transition for impacted workers and communities, respect the rights of first nations peoples, secure policies and funding supporting those forced to migrate due to climate impacts, and more.
Australian signatories call on the Australian government to commit to higher greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference later this year that are in line with a net zero target by 2030. Instead of a “gas-led recovery”, they want post-Covid recovery spending to be on low carbon jobs, and for finance to be provided to the UN Green Climate Fund for developing countries.
The Moderator of the Uniting Church in NSW and the ACT, the Rev. Simon Hansford, said:
“The UN Climate Change Conference in November is another opportunity for Australia to do the right thing.
“We are on a path to food shortages and ecosystem collapse as early as 2030 and as a leading coal and gas exporter, Australia is a major global contributor to emissions.
“Our Australian communities include some of the most vulnerable people who, we know, will be disproportionately affected.
“There are environmental, scientific and economic solutions and we are urging those in power to be courageous. Appropriate action taken now will encourage our Pacific neighbours, urge others to take further action and have hopeful consequences for the world in which we live.”
Actions in inner Sydney on March 11 included a demonstration and meditation outside NSW Parliament House; a gathering of “Contemplative Rebels” in Hyde Park; a bagpipe parade from the Pitt Street mall to Pitt Street Uniting Church; a meditation at Newtown station; actions at St Vincent’s Catholic Church Redfern, Christ Church St Laurence and more. Further afield there were vigils and demonstrations outside the offices of Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, as well as other politicians across Australia.
The demands and actions were coordinated globally by the GreenFaith International Network, and in Australia by multifaith organisation Australian Religious Response to Climate Change.
