A Parliament of the World’s Religions Letter Urging Nations to Reaffirm Climate Commitments to the Leaders of COP24

Hon. Michał Kurtyka
COP 24 President-designate
Secretary of State Ministry of the Environment, Poland
Hon. Patricia Espinosa
Executive Secretary United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 
 
November 20, 2018
Dear Mr. President and Madam Secretary,
The Parliament of the World’s Religions understands that human-induced climate change is a scientific reality, and its decisive mitigation is a moral and religious imperative.
The damaging impacts of climate change are already extensive. Many of them appear irreversible. If human behavior does not change, these impacts will become far more extreme, resulting in turmoil and suffering on an enormous scale with immense harm to both humans and other forms of life, for generations to come. 1
To keep the earth livable, all nations must reduce and then end emissions of greenhouse gases, moving to a post-carbon global economy based on clean, safe, and renewable energy.2
The urgency of the need to mitigate climate change led preeminent representatives of numerous religious traditions and indigenous peoples, as well as leaders from the scientific community and civil society, gathered in solidarity at the Parliament of the World’s Religions November 4, 2018 Climate Assembly, to resolutely appeal to all of humanity to take bold and decisive action to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Over 8,200 people attended the Toronto Parliament.
As countries convene for the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Parliament of the World’s Religions’ Board of Trustees calls on governments to reaffirm their commitment to the UNFCCC’s “common cause to take ambitious action to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so.”3
Yours Sincerely,
Dr. Robert Sellers
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Dr. Larry Greenfield
Executive Director
 
 
Climate Action Task Force Trustees:
Hon. David Hales, Chair
Dr. Kusumita P. Pedersen
Dr. Manohar Singh Grewal
Michael Terrien, Obl. OSB
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1 Parliament of the World’s Religions; Embracing Our Common Future, An Interfaith Call to Action on Climate 
Change, 2016
2 Ibid
3 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Paris Agreement: Essential Elements, 2015