CLIMATE CHANGE EMERGENCY

THE REDLAND PARK URC CLIMATE JUSTICE GROUP would like to share the following declaration, which was approved by Redland Park Elders in February and the church meeting in March:
Redland Park URC recognises the climate emergency and is committed to making a co-ordinated effort to respond, based on our calling to love our neighbours, live justly and steward God’s creation.
The reasons why we are convinced that this is important are set out below:

• Global heating is already causing a rise in sea levels, increase in ocean acidity and an increase in extreme weather events and droughts. Tearfund and other NGOs have identified climate change as a contributor to rising hunger globally and in making storms, floods and droughts more severe for people already living in poverty.
  
• These changes, predicted to become significantly more severe, are to catastrophically affect the lives, health, food and water supplies and economic security of many millions of people, and the fundamental ecosystems on which humans and other life depend.
  
• There is broad agreement that the next 10 years offer an unrepeatable window of opportunity for action.
  
• The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of listening to scientific advice and the fragility of the systems we all depend on daily.
  

As Christians we have reason to speak out and act in this area:

• We have a mandate to speak truth without fear. This includes the precious interdependence of God’s creation, of which we are only a part.
  
• We are called to show love to our neighbours around the world who are already suffering the effects of climate change, and to act now to reduce catastrophic harm in the future.
  
• We are called to act with hope, the hope we have through Jesus. Our witness of love is a witness to the power and freedom of the gospel.