Looking to 2010

You will by now have heard that following two years of intense negotiations, the news from Copenhagen has been disspointing. Last minute wrangling failed to deliver the agreement so many had hoped for.

And yet, Copenhagen has helped to build momentum for change, as others have said: "It takes a lot to get an elephant moving, but when you do it is hard to stop...the elephant is moving..."

It is clear that we need to keep pushing for progess globally in 2010, but that we also need to look locally at what we can do here in the UK.

The Diocese of Oxford has plans to support and resource churches in the diocese to respond to climate change at both the global and local level in 2010:

• Living Hope: Green Churches & Green Schools - On 6th March there will be a conference in Gt Missenden to explore practical ways to respond to climate change, and how we can keep the post-Copenhagen process moving. Put the date in your new 2010 diary!
  

• Stay up-to-date - subscribe to our website to stay informed of environment news from the Diocese of Oxford in 2010.
  

For analysis on the meetings in Copenhagen - and subsequent calls for action - use the links below:

• Copenhagen analysis - BBC | Stop Climate Chaos | Tearfund | Friends of the Earth
  

• Actions - Email Ed Miliband - Friends of the Earth | Email Gordon Brown - Christian Aid & Oxfam

So now it's Mexico 2010

I think it was the President of Brazil who first came up with the comment that if it had been a bank the planet would have been saved by now. But it's not, and it hasn't been.

However much politicians and commentators claim that the "Copenhagen accord" promulgated by President Obama represents success of a kind, it is hard to see the much antipated conference as anything other than a failure. Those who think otherwise are overlooking the fact that the accord represents an agreement that is wholly unacceptable to the people who have long been suffering the consequences of irreversible climate change. Christian Aid's Nelson Muffuh said: "We hoped that sanity would prevail, but powerful nations didn't come to negotiate. They came to play hardball. Lives will be lost as a result." Barabara Stocking of Oxfam was equally succinct: "World leaders seem to have forgotten they were not negotiating numbers. They were negotiating lives."

So now we have to regroup and look forward once more, this time to Mexico in 2010. Campaigners are likely to be calling on the EU and other developed countries, especially the United States, to reconvene talks at the earliest opportunity, to strengthen what is currently on the table and transform it into a legally binding treaty.

Is it asking too much of a public that is already showing signs of climate change fatigue to engage in still more campaigning on the issue? The voices of the deniers have been strengthened by the failure in Copenhagen. If you doubt that, take a look at the comments posted in response to articles in the national press, many expressing jubilation that, as they see it, the debate is now closed.

For UK voters, though, the General Election in 2010 offers an unparalleled opportunity to let politicians know that we care about climate change and the people it is killing. We should not forget that political will is an infinitely renewable resource, and next year is an ideal time to put that message across to parliamentary candidates of all parties.

I suspect that in a couple of weeks' time, a significant number of people will be making some "green" resolutions: to use the car less, turn down the thermostat and so on. And all power to them for doing so. But to be truly effective, those resolutions must also contain something about political lobbying and something about spreading the word as to what even a two degree rise in average global temperatures really means for the developing world.

We must continue to challenge people in the churches who continue to dispute the science as an excuse for doing nothing. And to challenge our churches, nationally and internationally, to move away from statements of pious hope (such as that by the World Council of Churches to the final plenary session in Copenhagen last Friday), and instead to speak prophetically to governments and decision-makers, to remind them that climate change is a matter of numbers of lives rather than numbers on a budget sheet.

Next year will be demanding, in every sense. Are we ready for it?

A Prayer for the Earth

Yesterday was officially the last day of the Climate Change negotiations in Copenhagen, but even as I write, delegates are still in session some 14 hours after President Obama left the Bella Centre and the world was told that a deal had been made.

A deal has indeed been made, but many of the smaller and most vulnerable nations are not happy. The debates, discussions and analysis will go on, and much work still has to be done.

With this is mind, I would like to share with you a prayer that was written by World Vision’s Tim Costello, and which was read at the service that I attended last Sunday in the Cathedral in Copenhagen. The sermon was delivered by the Archbishop of Canterbury.


A Prayer for the Earth

Most gracious God, creator of all good things, we thank you for planet earth and all creatures that share it.

Have mercy on us, Lord. Through ignorance and carelessness we have poisoned clean air and pure water. For monetary gain we have reduced verdant forests to barren wastes. In our craving for more we have plundered your beloved creation and driven many of our fellow creatures to extinction. Only recently have we begun to realize the dangerous future into which our current patterns of consumption and waste are driving us, especially in relation to earth’s climate. Only recently have we begun to see our need to find a wiser and better way of life in the future, before it is too late and our choices are limited by the consequences of inaction.

We who join in prayer today believe the time has come, Lord. Please guide us now, our God, at this critical moment in history, to better fulfil our role as stewards of this fragile planet. Guide the leaders of nations who gather in Copenhagen this week and next. Give them courage to set noble goals that reach beyond short-range political expediency, short-term economic profit, and short-sighted self-interest. Impress upon their conscience our sacred duty to bequeath to our children and grandchildren a healthy and thriving environment rather than a world in climate crisis.

If our leaders fail, Lord, to take the necessary action, they will violate both our trust and your calling to use their power for the common good. If they fail, every person will be affected, including generations not yet born. Rouse us all to action for we are all woven together in the fabric of creation.

This is the moment, God, when a great turning of hearts must begin. So through this prayer, we of many traditions who follow Christ -- joined by friends and neighbours of many faiths – unite our hearts in a cry for change.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray in the name of Christ, through whom you have given yourself to the whole world in incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Amen.

Shalom
Tim Costello
Chief Executive
WORLD VISION AUSTRALIA
For more information: www.worldvision.org.uk

Lights in the gloom

Despondency seems to be setting in among observers and commentators. Heaven knows how the delegates themselves are feeling, with their all-night sittings and more to come. You have to get your light relief where you can find it.

So how about looking at Greenpeace's inspired contribution to climate change activism: an animated cartoon figure called Coalfinger. This is a supervillain who, with his sidekick Dr Anthracite, plans to cover the world in coal-fired power stations - a project not a million miles away from the aspirations of some of the most vociferous climate-change deniers. The unlikely Bond-figure is one Graverson Green, who calls on the world to work together to stop dirty coal plants and to fight for clean and renewable energy. I feel there may a sermon illustration lurking there somewhere.

Over the last few years of conferences I have enjoyed the "Fossil of the Day" awards. Yesterday, while the US took both first and third places, Canada (an all too familiar villain) came second. This was for their leaked Cabinet plan to allow oil and gas emissions to rise by 37% above current levels by 2020, despite the public promise of an overall 3% reduction.

Outside the conference there is encouragement among the gloom. Some of the many campaigners excluded thanks to a monumental miscalculation that saw 25,000 passes allocated when there was only ever room for 15,000 people, have made their point nonetheless. Yesterday representatives from Indian Dalit and indigenous communities burned their conference badges in protest at the lack of community participation in the whole UNFCCC process. And while the Prime Minister of Ethiopia saw fit to join forces with some industrialised countries (including France and the UK) in the name of all Africa, the Pan-Africa climate Justice Alliance - a coalition of more than 200 civil society organisations from across Africa - made it very clear, in an "authorised" protest that he most certainly did not speak on their behalf.

A lot can happen in the remaining two days, but I worry that many of us will be feeling increasingly helpless, opening the door wider to the growing movements of climate change denial. What can the church do? A surprisingly unambitious "seven-year plan" for tackling environmental issues launched recently by the Church of England suggested that the church should if necessary "go it alone", although what "it" might be is far from clear. My personal feeling is that we should not be afraid to put our collective weight behind future government initiatives to address climate change, whether or not that government is of our preferred political hue. That would be a challenge indeed.

Copenhagen Prayer Points

Below are some prayer points and an update on progress from Micah Network members at the COP negotiations happening in Copenhagen:

• The G77 countries suspended their engagement with one track of the process for a number of hours earlier yesterday. In response developed countries did the same for the other track. Basically the deal currently on the table looks pretty bad for developing countries. They are concerned that the way the programme was structured was helping some developed countries get away with a weaker deal and wriggle out of their commitments. Talks have now restated.

• NGOs here are up in arms about increasingly severe restrictions on access to the conference centre throughout the week as Heads of State start to arrive. By Thursday and Friday hardly anyone will be able to get in, which is a major concern for what is meant to be a transparent, publicly accountable process.

What needs to Happen

· Ambition gap – Still a big gap between what is needed (40% emissions cuts by rich countries on 1990 levels by 2020 and $200 bill per year additional to ODA commitments per year by 2020) and what is being discussed as options here. Heads of State and ministers need to bring new announcements to raise ambition levels.

· Loopholes – Even if there is movement on this numerous loopholes that have plagued the Kyoto Protocol track and undermined emissions reductions have still not been resolved which would allow countries to wriggle out of meeting tough targets even if they are agreed. Negotiators and ministers need to close the loopholes to avoid a weak deal.

· Legal form – Urgent clarity is needed on a way forward which provides a robust legally binding outcome from Copenhagen to enable us to keep global average temperature rise below 2 degrees.

Pray

· Pray for progress in the talks – especially for real movement to close the ambition gap, shut down the loopholes and clarify the legal form and timeframe for a final deal

· Pray for rich countries to stop playing hard ball and to listen to the anger and frustration of the majority of countries here who will be hit first and worst by climate change and did the least to cause it. Pray that they will give much more.

· Pray for continued energy for those from Micah Network at the negotiations, for wisdom and for God to open up the right doors at the right times with the right people for us.

Small Island, big impact

Tuvalu is a small Polynesian island state in the Pacific Ocean. There are four reef islands, and five atolls. A member of the Commonwealth, all of its islands are no more than 4m above sea level, and most people live below 2m above sea level. At only a total of 10 or so square miles, it is the 4th smallest country in the world.

But it has been making a big impact on the climate change negotiations. Five days ago their delegation asked for the negotiations to be suspended to gain time to resolve differences that had arisen between the Alliance of Small Island States and the Least Developed Countries on the one hand, and some of the wealthier nations. On Saturday, after informal discussions had been held to resolve the differences, the plenary session resumed, and the Tuvalu representative was one of the first to speak.

He noted that some media had accused Tuvalu of trying to embarrass the Danish government by suspending the talks. In an emotional speech, he assured the chairman that this was not the case, and he was very concerned not to offend the host nation.

He had received calls of support from all over the world and requests for media interviews, but had refused to do them. “I am a humble and insignificant employee of the government of Tuvalu”, he said, “and I make a strong plea that we consider this matter properly…. I woke up this morning crying”. He was tearful again as he pleaded, movingly. “The future of my country rests in your hands”.

The response to his speech was a round of applause, led from the back of the hall where I sat with colleagues from World Vision. It is here where NGOs and others who are allowed to observe the negotiations have to sit. It was a long and sustained applause, but what he really needs is a deep cut in global emissions, or his beautiful country is doomed.

For more information: www.worldvision.org.uk

Archbishop Rowan talks to Christian Aid

Bareheaded despite the cold, Archbishop Rowan Williams spoke to Christian Aid before the start of the 100,000-strong march in Copenhagen on Saturday.

Asked why he thought it was important for him to be there, the Archbishop said: "It's important for faith communities to be visible. It's important for the leaders of communities to be visible. And I hope that some things that the communities of faith across the world, especially the Christian churches, are saying will really help to give some leverage in this situation."

He summed up the theological basis for campaigning on climate change like this: "Firstly the world isn't ours. The world is something we're part of, we don't own it, and God has given us responsibilites in the world for care and nurture of the actual material world we're in, and of one another. Second, it's about justice. Climate change weighs most heavily on those least powerful, least advantaged in the world. There's a clear imperative there."

In his sermon the next day at the international ecumenical service in Copenhagen Cathedral Archbishop Rowan contrasted paralysing fear with liberating love, taking as his text "Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4.18). The full text of his sermon is available at www.archbishopofcanterbury.org

It was all stirring stuff. And as the conference enters the all-important second week, we can only pray that the negotiators will take heed of the Archbishop's twofold message: "First, don't be afraid, but ask how the policies you follow and the lifestyle you take for granted look in the light of the command to love the world you inhabit ... And second, don't separate this from the question of how we learn to trust one another within a world of limited resources. In such a world there can be no trust without justice, without the assurance of knowing that my neighbour is there for me when I face insecurity or risk." Amen to that.