Faith leaders across the UK have written a joint open letter calling on the British government to take action on a global treaty that puts an end to fossil fuels.
The signatories represent a wide range of faith groups, including director of the Islamic Environmental Science Foundation, Avnish Takraal of Hindu Climate Action, Rev. John Arnold, Bishop of Salford, Executive Director of Ecojudime, and Executive Director of Jamie Clanswell;
“As faith leaders, we believe that taking action for a fair and well-managed transition to renewable energy – that using the enormous benefits of the fossil fuel industry to fund a more equitable future for all is a moral obligation for responsible government,” the letter states.
I’m at the front
Dr. Shannon Shah, Director Faith in the climateand one of the signatories said: “For many people in the faith, the unfair extraction of the planet’s natural resources and the ruthless exploitation of communities and ecosystems is an immeasurable moral mistake.
“To address this moral mistake, our faith is forced to work comprehensively for fairness, justice and planetary repairs, due to the core components of the fossil fuel non-enhancement treaty. This is why we call on the UK government to have a moral courage and an ethical vision in favour of the treaty.”
Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty It is a global agreement led by climate-fragile states. It calls for prompt, fair and funded purposes for the use of fossil fuels around the world, and governments must coordinate to bring about a fair global transition.
The treaty has already been approved by 16 central governments worldwide. British cities, including Birmingham, Glasgow and London, support the call for treaty.
Trade unions also support the call for a treaty. Public Services International (PSI), a global network of 700 unions representing 30 million workers in 154 countries, is supporting the campaign. In the UK, Unison, the country’s largest union, also supports the treaty.
This author
Brendan Montague is the editor of Ecologist. This article is based on a press release from Faith for Climate.
