Where the current negotiation texts are failing:
- The current texts remain worryingly unbalanced. While there is progress on mitigation, it is shocking that there is limited reference to action needed to address increasing climate impacts.
- Simply referencing Loss and Damage (L&D) in the draft decision text without identifying any concrete action is offensive and immoral. The current text not only fails to deliver a separate mechanism to deliver action on Loss and Damage, it also does not provide any realistic path to new finance.
- The texts on finance fail to provide confidence that the overdue pledge of $100 billion a year in support for poorer countries will be delivered. The commitment on adaptation, as part of that finance pledge, falls significantly short. The current text does not address the fact that most public finance comes in loans, which are adding to the burden of debt for climate-vulnerable countries, nor the challenges on access.
The action we now need:
World leaders must now step up and deliver a clear, actionable text that strengthens previous agreements and puts those living on the frontline of the climate crisis at its heart.
We call on world leaders at COP26 to preserve all of God’s Creation by:
- Recognising the urgency of this crisis, including language in the text that encourages all countries, but especially major emitters, to come forward annually at each COP with new ambition announcements that exceed their current NDC targets.
- Calling for all Parties to address L&D through mobilising a separate and additional funding stream separate to finance for mitigation and adaptation; making L&D a permanent COP agenda item; and ensuring appropriate capacity and finance to support the full operationalization of the Santiago Network by COP27.
- Richer governments fulfilling their promises and delivering the $100 billion promised for 2020 and every year up to 2025. This must be a 50/50 split between mitigation and adaptation, must be in the form of grants and not loans, and address access issues so the finance reaches those who need it most.
Signatories:
Fr Ioan Sauca, Acting General Secretary, The World Council of Churches
Rev. Anne Burghardt, General Secretary, Lutheran World Federation
Bishop Thomas Schirrmacher, Secretery General, World Evangelical Alliance
Shahin Ashraf, Head of Global Advocacy, Islamic Relief Worldwide
Fidon Mwombeki, General Secretary, All Africa Council of Churches
Susanna Mattingly, Acting General Secretary Friends World Committee for Consultation
Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, General Secretary, ACT Alliance
Junghee Min, Secretary-general, Interreligious Climate and Ecology Network
Valeriane Bernard, Brahma Kumari World Spiritual University UN representative
Jack Palmer-White, Anglican Communion’s Representative to the UN
Aytzim: Ecological Judaism
Sanat Kumar Barua, General Secretary, Atisha Dipankar Peace Trust Bangladesh
Sustainable Action for Nature (SAN)
Kenneth Nana Amoateng, Abibinsroma Foundation, Ghana
Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop Canada
Revd James Shri Bhagwan, General Secretary Pacific Conference of Churches
Council of Anglican Provinces Africa
Metropolitan Serafim Kykotis, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa
Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Linda Nicholls, Archbishop of Canada
Jim, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Quakers in Britain
Jude Levermore, Head of Mission, The Methodist Church in Britain
Fred Milligan, Presbyterians for Earth Care
Joy Kennedy, Canadian Interfaith Fast for the Climate
Christopher Harper, Bishop of Saskatoon, Canada
Adam Halkett, Bishop Diocese of Saskatchewan, Canada
John Arnold, Bishop of Salford
Bishop Stephen Wright, Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham
Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich
Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading
Revd Dr Matthew Cobb
Cannon Giles Goddard, Co-Founder Faith for the Climate