Climate Justice reflects historic struggles

Ed Miliband says climate change protestors must create movement on scale of anti-apartheid and votes for women

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband last night said that the UK needed to see the struggle against climate change the same way people viewed historic struggles of the past.

In a speech at the launch of CAFOD’s Climate Justice campaign, Mr Miliband said that popular pressure and action on a massive scale were the only ways to win the fight against climate change.

He said: "All the lessons of history show that the big struggles have been won, whether it was the anti-apartheid struggle, whether it was the struggle for votes for women in this country.

"These have been won because of popular pressure and action and that is absolutely crucial. And that popular pressure and mobilisation has to take place around the world."

The Secretary of State, speaking to an audience of 200 people at Westminster Cathedral Hall in London including activists, policy-makers and church leaders, also said that the present financial crisis was no reason to stop tackling climate change, and that the global community had to learn from mistakes made by ignoring flaws in the economic systems.

"We can learn from mistakes made before the financial crisis. Problems weren’t dealt with at the time and so ended in crisis. Learning from this, we should tackle climate change today.

"The problem is incredibly urgent and we know that if we don’t tackle it the problem will get worse and the costs will get worse. But it can be tackled at the same time as tackling the economic crisis."

Mr Miliband congratulated CAFOD for launching the campaign and explained even with America now on-side in the fight against climate change, governments alone could not succeed.

"I have just come back from the US where President Obama has already signalled a complete change in approach from the previous administration. Not just accepting that climate change is happening but that America must be part of tackling it.

"But he will only be able to succeed and get the legislation through Congress if not only governments are willing it to happen, but people are willing it to happen."

At the heart of CAFOD’s launch event - and of the campaign - was a focus on the human face of climate change. Partner Lay Sophea movingly described the impact of changes in climate from the perspective of people in his native Cambodia.

He shared stories of families who had been unable to grow rice because of extreme weather. Some had resorted to cutting down trees in order to make a living, others were having to rely on weeds normally used for animals to feed themselves.

Lay Sophea said: "Communities can adapt to climate change but only up to a point. We need international communities to support our communities to adapt to climate change. Our climate is in our hands - but it is also in yours.

"The UK Government must be a leader on climate change."

CAFOD director Chris Bain highlighted that climate change threatens God’s creation, saying: "Climate change has knocked us out of our complacency and brought home how much God’s creation is under threat by human activity – not just the climate but also its diverse flora and fauna.

"We have interpreted ‘dominion’ over the earth to mean destruction and exploitation rather than care and stewardship which appreciates its beauty and breathes with it rather than against it.

"Our response has to be rooted in our faith and our common humanity. We cannot accept the dehumanisation caused by extreme poverty. Our faith reinforces the integrity and sanctity of every life and our Church has made an option for poor people.

"As Pope Benedict reminds us, love of God and love of neighbour are part of the same commandment – and our neighbour is anyone in need. We believe in authentic human development: the flourishing and well-being of every human being.

"This is a goal which unites all humanity and for Christians it stems from God's will for us: "I come that you may have life and have it to the full".

The Rt Rev John Rawsthorne Bishop of Hallam also spoke at the launch event and urged people to become "ambassadors for climate justice" and to take the campaign message into their parishes.

Media: For more information, case studies & interviews: Pascale Palmer, ppalmer@cafod.org.uk +44 20 7095 5459, +44 7785 950 585