By Bernhard Schell
BAKU, Azerbaijan | 18 November 2024 (IDN) — Over 400 religious, faith and values-based individuals and organizations have called for overcoming national barriers in the interest our planet. “Humanity must reach beyond nationalism to build fit-for-purpose global governance for managing the Earth’s atmosphere—our common climate system,” says an interfaith appeal Protecting Our Common Climate System: Earth Governance for a Sustainable Future, presented on 18 November to the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference(COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“With global temperature rise already causing wide-spread and devastating disasters, and with the tipping points for a global climate catastrophe imminent, it is evident that relying on national commitments in a competitive economic and political environment is not working,” says John Vlasta (Humanist, UK), Chair of World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy (co-founding organization of UNFOLD ZERO), who presented the appeal to COP 29 at the Faith Pavilion.
“God gave us one planet to live on and last time we checked, emissions, pollution and temperature increases do not stop at national boundaries,” says Rev Fletcher Harper (Christian, USA), Executive Director of GreenFaith, who joined in the appeal presentation to COP 29. “If we want a future in which millions are not cooked to death, a binding global governance system is imperative.”
The appeal highlights principles and values shared across the world’s major religions, faiths and philosophies that are relevant to governing the environment for a sustainable future.
These include the principles of protection of creation (the Earth’s global ecosystem), reciprocity/equity, justice/fairness, social responsibility and Guardianship/Earth Trusteeship. The appeal then draws from those principles to support a number of governance proposals including for;
- Adopting UN Declaration of Planetary Emergency and convening a Planetary Emergency Platform;
- establishing a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations and similar institutional representatives for future generations at local, national and regional levels;
- supporting the International Court of Justice case on climate change currently before the court;
- adding the crime of ecocide to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court;
- establishing a dedicated International Court for the Environment;
- negotiating a Fossil Fuel Treaty;
- adopting Earth Trusteeship governance approaches at local, national, regional and international levels including establishing a UN cooperative trusteeship mechanism for better governance of the global commons, inspired by the UN Secretary-General’s proposal for the UN Trusteeship Council.
- creating an Earth System Council as a fourth pillar of the UN.
“These environmental governance mechanisms have been well researched and developed,” says Alyn Ware, Cofounder of UNFOLD ZERO and co-convenor of the Transnational Working Group on values, faith-based perspectives and global governance which organised the appeal. “Their adoption would ensure fair and effective implementation and enforcement of climate obligations.“
“The statement Protecting Our Common Climate System: Earth Governance for a Sustainable Future tells us with clarity and compelling urgency what we must do now to engage the climate emergency,” says Nitin Ajmera (Jain/Interfaith, USA), Chair, Board of Trustees, Parliament of the World’s Religions. “As an international interfaith organization, we especially affirm values shared by the world’s traditions: protection of creation, reciprocity, justice, responsibility and guardianship of the Earth. Recognizing the right to a healthy environment and the rights of Nature—and enshrining with our actions our responsibility to future generations – are fundamental to creating the future we owe our children.”
“To address the climate crisis increased by a group of industrialized countries with impacts on the most impoverished sectors of the Global South, affected in their livelihoods and culture, we advocate for the full implementation of intergovernmental instruments, accompanied by National Action Plans,” says Martha Inés Romero (Catholic, Colombia), Pax Christi International Secretary General. “But these Plans are often more rhetorical than the result of transformative political will and must be contrasted with increasingly serious realities for ecosystems and the communities that inhabit them.”
“We, as custodians of our shared planet, carry the profound responsibility to protect and restore our climate, which transcends borders and beliefs,” says Erick W. Githaiga (Christian, Kenya), Ambassador of Partnerships for Future Generations in Africa. “By uniting diverse faiths and values, this appeal is a powerful call for Earth-centered governance, reflecting our collective commitment to a sustainable, just, and resilient future for all generations.”
Background to the appeal
The Appeal has been developed and coordinated by the Transnational Working Group on values, faith-based perspectives and global governance which was established earlier this year, to focus on the connections between the ideas/objectives of global governance and the principles of religious, faith-based and values-based perspectives The working group is open to individuals and faith-based organizations to join. Click HEREto learn more.
Most of the proposals in the interfaith appeal have been researched and/or developed by the Climate Governance Commission and are included on the proposals or campaign pages of Mobilizing an Earth Governance Alliance. [IDN-InDepthNews]
Image credit: COP29.az
