Faith communities urged to support Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty

Woman holds banner at COP28, Dubai, UAE. Image Hillert-20231204_AH1_6748

As part of the Summit of the Future Action Days, today, 21 September, the World Council of Churches (WCC) calls on churches, individuals, and organizations worldwide to endorse the Faith for Non-Proliferation Treaty. This initiative aims to catalyze the phase-out of fossil fuels while ensuring a just transition for workers, communities, and countries.

Care for creation and climate justice

This year, the Season of Creation encourages the Christian family to act together on 21 September by raising awareness about the Faith for Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Global Action Day aligns with the culmination of the UN Summit, offering a powerful moment for the faith community to express its commitment to peace and justice.

"Endorsing the Faith for Non-Proliferation Treaty is not just a symbolic act-it's a collective moral statement from the world's faith communities," said Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia. "We invite churches and institutions to act decisively by adding their voices and signatures to this treaty."

On 28 June 2023, the WCC central committee formally endorsed the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, acknowledging that "while some measures are being taken to lessen the impacts of climate change, the primary cause of the climate crisis-fossil fuels-has barely been addressed."

The Summit of the Future Action Days, organized by the United Nations, will unite global leaders, civil society, faith groups, and institutions. It provides a platform to shape and implement the Pact for the Future, a framework to build a sustainable, equitable, and peaceful world.

LINKS

More information on how to endorse the treaty:
https://fossilfueltreaty.org/faith-letter#faith-letter

Statement on Biodiversity COP16 and Climate COP29:
https://oikoumene.org/resources/documents/statement-on-biodiversity-cop16-and-climate-cop29

Churches march in New York City to declare no faith in fossil fuels:
https://oikoumene.org/news/churches