Potential for a new dawn

Christian Aid campaigner Clare Fussell reflects on the deal reached at the UN climate talks last weekend, what it really achieved and what’s next in the climate campaign

Last Sunday at church, members of the congregation were giving each other high fives in the aisles. It wasn’t a new way of sharing the peace, but instead a celebration of the global climate deal just agreed in Paris.

For the first time, almost 200 countries have come together and signed an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deal with the impacts of climate change. This is an agreement that has the potential to set the whole world on a new, low-carbon path.

This is a truly historic moment. And it’s a moment worth celebrating. Millions of us from all over the globe have worked hard and prayed hard for this step.

People have faith have been fasting together on the first of every month. During the climate talks faith leaders and fasters gathered around a table set with empty plates. “It’s lunchtime, but we’re not eating! We’re fasting for climate justice, and for all countries to play their fair part in tackling climate change.”

In the many pilgrimages to Paris and climate marches this year, churches have been a huge and important voice calling for justice.

And for decades, people of faith have been instrumental in speaking out against the degradation of God’s earth and for the rights of our neighbours. We now give thanks to God for this crucial move towards a world powered by 100% renewable energy.

Civil Society attaching signs to the mock Eiffel Tower after the sit-in demanding the climate negotiators agree to a strong climate deal. Photo by Emma Cassidy / Survival Media Agency

So, what exactly did we achieve?

The world has agreed to limit warming to below 2˚C, which is the level beyond which the scientific community has warned we’ll see catastrophic changes to our climate. Leaders have committed to pursuing further efforts to limit warming to 1.5˚C.

The reference to 1.5˚C goal in the agreement is significant, because it demonstrates that the urgent needs of the poorest and most vulnerable countries have been taken into consideration.

In order to achieve this long-term, science-based goal, there are three practical steps included in the agreement:

1. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been commissioned to produce a special report into the impact of 1.5˚C warming.
2. A ‘ratchet mechanism’ will allow countries to take stock of global progress on reducing carbon emissions. A review process urges them to ramp up their ambition every five years, starting in 2018.
3. More than 150 countries promised to change the way they use energy, and detailed those changes in the form of individual commitments known as INDCs.

Crucially, the agreement also provides a framework for rich nations to deliver $100bn in climate finance to help developing countries adapt and grow in a clean and sustainable manner.

Campaigners call on developed nations to deliver the finance needed to help those worse off develop in a sustainable way

This all sends a strong signal to businesses and investors that there is only one direction of travel — towards a low-carbon future, away from fossil fuels.

However, the deal will not deliver a safe future in itself, with current commitments adding up to global warming that is closer to 3˚C. Governments must increase their commitments before 2020 and every five years thereafter to ensure the deal evolves to meet the needs of a changing world.

If governments are serious about these commitments, then the era of dirty investments is over. Churches need to lead the way in closing the gap and persuading politicians and businesses to follow. And that’s what we’ll do in 2016, with the next phase of the Big Shift campaign. Churches around the country will move their energy and their investments to renewable sources. Watch this space for more information about how to get involved.