Time to act on climate change

Sisters Cornelia Nabututu and Euphasia Katambani join CAFOD's climate change lobby of parliament. [Marcella Haddad/CAFOD]

Chris Bain explains why 2009 is a crucial year for world leaders to take decisive action on climate change

The diversity and beauty of the earth has underpinned humankind’s response to life throughout our existence. In the tug and push of the oceans, and the cycles of flower-to-fruit-to-seed, people have found comfort and inspiration.

From our environment we have woven our stories – the stork bringing babies, the magpie’s luck, the big bad wolves of fairy tales, the Forest of Arden, and the snake in the Garden of Eden.

In Christian teaching humanity and the rest of creation depend upon one another. Destroying one part, impacts on the rest.

Moral responsibility

It is the moral responsibility of everyone to protect that environment that has brought us so many cultural, social and financial riches.

In Poznan and Brussels last year world leaders failed to come to strong agreements on climate change, and as we work towards the final UN talks in Copenhagen at the end of this year, the impacts of climate change are already having a profound effect on our world.

It is obvious that no country alone can solve the problems related to climate change, and that is why the richest countries need to overcome self-interest through robust binding collective action.

Rich countries must look again at what they risk losing through a lack of political will and trust. They must see what new opportunities and creativity can be found to engender a new way of living that is more in harmony with creation – where we aspire, not to have more, but to be more.

In not standing up for creation, these countries refuse to acknowledge the fragile and dynamic interdependencies of the entire natural world, which includes humankind.

Furthermore the uneven impact that climate change brings on those human communities that are least able to protect themselves puts greater moral responsibility on those at the negotiating table.

The whole international community must adopt and act upon a coordinated, effective and prompt international political strategy to ensure the progress of sustainable development and the fostering of a healthy environment.

Unless international consensus is reached this year and matched by effective action and accountability, we will face a future where the natural world we live in and alongside will no longer be the one we recognise now.

Sustaining the hope that we, and our governments, can overcome the massive problem of climate change is a challenge. And it would be easy to succumb to despair and apathy.

But it is through the solidarity of nations and individuals that hope can be maintained. We are called upon to make wise, just and prudent choices, mindful of our individual and collective impact on the earth and on future generations.

It is time for us all to work for the common good. It is time for us to act on climate change.

Chris Bain is Director of CAFOD

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