Increasingly the world’s environmental hopes and fears are focused on the COP26 conference to take place in Glasgow in November 2021. It is a crucially important moment as climate saving measures really must be agreed at the conference. Both the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople are planning to attend!
As Christians we need to highlight the gravity of the moment and bathe the conference in prayer. We want delegates to arrive realistic about the challenges they face, and to find the grace to address them. So what can we do? Here are two suggestions:
- Climate Sunday – Hold a Climate Sunday service. These builds understanding about the issues and provides opportunities for prayer and speaking up.
- YCCN Relay – Support the Youth Christian Climate Network walkers who set out from Cornwall after the G7 and will arrive in Glasgow for COP26. They have a “Residency” here in Birmingham from 24-26th August. A local Ecumenical group has formed to plan events. It is possible to join in walking the route.
The Revd Patrick Gerard
Bishop’s Adviser for the Environment