Call for Evidence: Saving God's World: Caring for Creation and Climate Action
Deadline: 12th September 2021
Stewardship of the environment is a belief common to all the world religions and faith action on climate change is rooted in scriptures and religious beliefs. With adherents of the world religions making up around two thirds of the global population, and projections showing their numbers to increase in the coming decades, the role of religions in climate justice has never been more urgent.
For Muslims, there is both a moral and existential argument for faith action on climate change. Muslim majority countries around the world are exposed to particular vulnerability from the adverse impacts of climate change, such as drought, flooding, extreme heat, desertification, rising sea levels and water security. Moreover, demographic projections suggest Muslims will make up almost a third of the global population by 2060 and Muslims globally possess the youngest median age of all religions making climate change an acute intergenerational issue (Pew Research Center, 2017).
Religions have become more vocal about their moral leadership on climate action and many faith-based environmental initiatives have emerged in recent years. In 2015, the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change was issued impressing upon global leaders "to work the greatest good we can for all the species, individuals, and generations of God’s creatures." In the same year, Pope Francis issued an encyclical, 'Laudato Si' - Care of our common home' addressing the need to "bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development" to tackle the effects of climate change. It is almost 20 years since Christian faith leaders signed the Oxford Declaration on Global Warming (2002).
As we approach COP26 in November, The All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims is interested to explore dimensions of ecotheology, Islamic environmental ethics, and the wider role of religious communities in caring for creation through faith-inspired environmental activism.
This call for evidence invites submissions to areas of inquiry as follows:
"Greening" interpretations of religious texts to promote normative ethical frameworks on environmentalism and the role of religious scholars in promoting climate justice
Initiatives on Muslim climate change activism in the UK, both Muslim-led and general faith-based collaborations
"Greening" practices and behaviours demonstrating the role faith communities can play in environmental activism, eg community advocacy, promotion of mitigating behaviours
Examples of programmes, projects or initiatives developed by faith-based organisations to tackle habits and mindsets within faith communities that contribute to the root causes of climate change
Collaborations between faith and non-faith actors to promote advocacy and/or activism at local, national and global level