
Representatives from faith communities in the UK have called for a net zero emissions target
In a letter to the Daily Telegraph, faith leaders have called on the government to set a net zero greenhouse gas emissions target in law to halt climate change.
The letter is signed by more than 40 representatives of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu communities.
A report from the government's climate advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, says that a net zero target is needed to avoid temperature rises exceeding the 1.5C level which would be disastrous for hundreds of millions of the world's poorest people.
Politicians urged to 'show leadership' on climate change
The letter says:
"The UK government must take the opportunity created by yesterday’s report from the Committee on Climate Change to commit to eliminating our country’s contribution to global temperature rises.
"The urgency and scale of action required necessitates a legally-binding target of net zero emissions by 2045.
"Such a target demands a cross-governmental approach and one which does not rely on offsets or outsourcing of carbon emissions to poorer nations – the very countries which are being hit hardest by climate change, despite having contributed least to the problem.
"We readily recognise this means changing our lifestyles and behaviours.
"Indeed, we welcome the benefits that will follow, including cleaner air and warmer homes. Our country’s faith communities have already begun to embrace these changes, with thousands of places of worship powered by renewable energy and families committing to live simply and sustainably.
"We now urge our country’s politicians to show leadership of the magnitude demanded by the challenge we face and encourage them to consider the extraordinary legacy they could leave."
Signatories
Christian
The Rt Revd John Arnold – Roman Catholic Bishop of Salford; lead bishop on environmental affairs for the Catholic Church in England and Wales
The Rt Revd Nick Holtam – Church of England Bishop of Salisbury; lead bishop on the environment
The Most Revd John Davies – Anglican Archbishop of Wales
The Most Revd Leo Cushley JCD – Roman Catholic Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
The Rt Revd Joseph Toal – Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell
The Rt Revd Susan Brown – Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Commissioner Anthony Cotterill – Leader of The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland
John Cross – Moderator of the United Free Church of Scotland
Paul Parker – Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain
Andrea Adwoa Bittle – Clerk to the General Meeting for Scotland, Quakers in Britain
Revd Michaela Youngson – President of the Conference of the Methodist Church
Bala Gnanapragasam – Vice President of the Conference of the Methodist Church
Jewish
Rabbi Larry Tabick – Emeritus Rabbi, Shir Hayim Synagogue; Lecturer, Leo Baeck College
Rabbi Dr Jackie Tabick – Convenor of the Beit Din, The Movement for Reform Judaism
Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris – Principal, Leo Baeck College
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg – Senior Rabbi, Masorti Judaism
Rabbi Aaron Goldstein – Chair, Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors; Senior Rabbi, Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue
Rabbi Dr Charles Middleburgh – Dean, Leo Baeck College
Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen – Associate Rabbi, Manchester Reform Synagogue
Rabbi Naomi Goldman – Kol Chai Synagogue, Hatch End Reform Jewish Community
Rabbi Monique Mayer – Bristol and West Progressive Synagogue
Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers – Community Educator, The Movement for Reform Judaism
Rabbi Fabian Sborovsky – Chair, Assembly of Reform Rabbis and Cantors UK; Rabbi, Menorah Synagogue
Rabbi Roderick Young – Member, Norwich Hebrew Congregation and Norwich Liberal Jewish Community
Rabbi Sandra Kviat – Crouch End Chavurah
Rabbi Dr Barbara Borts - Honorary Research Associate, Department of Anthropology, Durham University; Honorary Research Fellow, Leo Baeck College
Rabbi Natan Levy - Lecturer, Leo Baeck College Rabbinical Seminary
Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah - Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue
Cantor Zoë Jacobs – Finchley Reform Synagogue
Muslim
Harun Khan - Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain
Fazlun Khalid – Founder/Director, Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Qari Asim MBE – Chair, Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB)
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra – Imam
Shaykh Sultan Niaz ul Hassan – Chairman, Bahu Trust
Hafiz Shauket Fazil – Principal, Birmingham Quran Academy
Shabana Parveen – Green Team Leader, Bahu Trust
Abdullah Rehman MBE – Tell MAMA, West Midlands Coordinator
Shenaz Sajan – Chair, Clifton Muslim Interfaith
Mahmooda Qureshi – Islamic Society of Britain
Buddhist
Jamie Cresswell – Vice-President, European Buddhist Union; Director, Centre for Applied Buddhism; Vice-President – European Council of Religious Leaders
Dharmacharini Munisha – Member, Triratna Buddhist Order; member, the committee of the Network of Buddhist Organisations UK (signing personally)
Hindu
Bharti Tailor – Past President, Hindu Forum of Europe
Gopal Patel – Director, The Bhumi Project

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