Faith leaders call for greenhouse pollution targets
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Peter Hobson signing
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Thirteen Australian faith leaders including Anglican Bishop George Browning, Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and Brother Ikebal Patel, President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, have called for targets to reduce greenhouse pollution by between 60 and 90 per cent by 2050 and a clean energy target of 25 per cent by 2020.
The Interfaith Common Call to Action was facilitated by the Climate Institute and built on Common Belief which was released late last year and included statements by a wide range of Australian faith leaders about climate change and a shared belief that there is a moral obligation to care for the earth.
The Australian interfaith call for action reflects an international movement within faith communities to reduce carbon emissions. For example, the Vatican under Pope Benedict XVI has committed to becoming carbon neutral and plans to cover its rooves with solar panels.
Bishop Browning said, “All the indications are that the poor of the world will suffer the most — people in Africa, people in Bangladesh, people in the Pacific. It’s a moral issue because we have a choice.
“I do not think that at the next election any Australian can morally vote for a government that does not have a viable climate policy.
“Particularly those of us who live in a fairly wealthy and technologically advanced environment have choices which poorer people don’t have, and we should exercise those choices for the good of all.”
The Interfaith Common Call to Action calls on the Australian Government to adopt policies without delay that will:
- Ensure Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions peak and begin to decline in the next five years, with a long-term reduction target of at least 60 to 90 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050 and a pathway of strong interim targets to meet that long-term target;
- Ensure all new electricity generation comes from clean energy, and legislate a clean or renewable energy target of 25 per cent by 2020;
- Set world’s best energy performance standards and establish a priority package of efficiency measures to cut energy waste and deliver all cost effective energy savings, particularly for low income households; and
- Strengthen, broaden and deepen current greenhouse international agreements, help neighbouring countries make the switch to clean energy and prepare for climate change, and lead the world in a response that avoids dangerous climate change of global warming more than two degrees above pre-industrial levels.
Other signatories to the declaration included Patrick Dodson, Convenor, Lingiari Foundation, Mohini Gunesekera, President of Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils, Vijay Singal, Secretary of the Australian Hindu Council and the Rev. Elenie Poulos, National Director, Uniting Justice Australia.