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Churches Encouraged to Get Involved With Climate Conference

Tuesday February 9 2021

Churches in Scotland are being urged to get involved in the climate change conference due to take place in Glasgow later this year.

The CoP26 conference, originally scheduled for last autumn, will take place from November 1-12 2021 at the SEC Campus, Covid-19 restrictions permitting.

Diplomatic representatives from all countries will be joined by campaigners, lobbyists, businesses, scientists, NGOs and the media. The conference aims to agree strengthened measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the aim of limiting global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

Faith groups have been heavily involved in the climate change conferences for many years, and Eco-Congregation Scotland and Interfaith Scotland are encouraging churches and other faith groups to take part this time.

There will be opportunities to host attendees at the conference and, for churches outside Glasgow, to provide accommodation for pilgrims making their way to the event. Church members are also being called upon to hold services or worship events themed around climate (and to register the event with Space for Change), to take part in online events and the Christian Aid CoP26 Prayer Chain, and to get involved with advocacy and campaigning work to help ensure the success of the conference.

Adrian Shaw, Eco-Congregation Scotland volunteer and former climate change officer for the Church of Scotland, said: “Faith groups from around the world are calling upon governments to respond urgently to the crisis of climate change .

“At Glasgow in November, covid restrictions permitting, governments, scientists and others including faith leaders will gather together to address the crisis. Churches across Scotland will have the opportunity to get involved, in hospitality, in learning, in pilgrimage and by seeking transformational change in Scotland .

“Covid has reminded us how vulnerable we are in the face of nature, climate change demands that we respond as urgently to the threat it poses to life on earth.”