Religion key to climate says Ban Ki-moon
Published: 5 November 2009
Author: Rose Gamble
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Ban Ki-Moon and Prince Phillip at the ARC conference
United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon told faith leaders they are uniquely equipped to combat climate change at a three-day conference organised by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and the United Nations Development Program.
"The world's great faith communities occupy a unique position in discussion on the fate of our planet and the accelerating impacts of climate change. You are the leaders who have the largest, widest and deepest reach," said Ban Ki-moon, addressing over 200 leaders representing nine of the world’s major religious communities.
He urged leaders to inspire followers to make their voices heard on climate change in the run up to the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. The potential impact of which, he claimed, is enormous.
"You can inspire, you can provoke, you can challenge your leaders, through your wisdom, through your followers," he said.
Prince Philip, co-founder of ARC, attended the conference. ARC, founded in 1995, helps religions link to environmental organisations, creating a powerful alliance for change.
Religions, ARC believes, are founded in a core belief that compassion and care for the Earth are essential. Through land, assets, media, education and lifestyle they can make a difference to climate change.
"There is a huge energy among faith groups to do something," said Victoria Finlay Communications Director, ARC. "Far from being peripheral to climate change problems, the faith groups are essential to it."
ARC cites 85% of the population as being affected by faith leaders’ opinion. "When faith leaders say something, when the Pope says something, people listen," said Finlay.
Beyond persuasion, ARC also believes religions can remind people that the Earth is worth celebrating; this changes how humanity then views and treats the planet.
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Comments
If only the religious leaders actually realized that by promoting smaller family sizes by voluntary family planning methods half the ecoligical disasters we are expecting would be reduced if not go away. It is humans that are destroying this planet because we cannot understand that out own success of populating the whole world is our own critical flaw.