Uppsala Manifesto promises faith action on climate issues

	HRH The Crown Princess Victoria at the opening ceremony of the Interfaith Climate Summit in Uppsala, Sweden. Photo by Magnus Aronson.

A manifesto signed at an interfaith climate summit in Uppsala Sweden last week targets the political and religious leaders of the world. Signed by 26 opinion makers from different faith traditions, it calls on political leaders to reach agreement during the preparations of the new global Climate Protocol 2009 on a strategy that is sufficiently responsible and ambitious for the earth to be saved for future generations.

The Church of Sweden Archbishop Anders Wejryd, who convened the Uppsala Interfaith Climate Summit, will present the manifesto to the Swedish government and to the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is meeting in Poznan, Poland this week.

Since religious leaders see the climate question as a deep spiritual issue, they questioned that responsibility for attempting to reverse current developments should be placed in the hands of politicians alone.

	CONFUCIUS: “First practice what you want to preach and then preach what you practice”.

“I believe the Uppsala Manifesto is an important indication of the potential role faiths can play in reminding Government that they do not stand alone on the issues of climate change and the environment,” said ARC’s Dr He Xiaoxin, who was one of the signatories, in a speech at Uppsala Cathedral. Link here to download Dr He's speech.

“The second part of the Manifesto urges faiths to action. This is exactly what Confucius says we need to do. He said – "“First practice what you want to preach and then preach what you practice”". In that context, Dr He Xiaoxin spoke of the UN/ARC 7/8 Year Plans. Many invited to this Summit are also involved in creating their own Plans for generational change.

As the World Council of Churches reported on its website the signatories committed themselves to inform and inspire people to take responsibility for effective measures to combat climate change within their respective cultural and religious contexts. They also promised to challenge both political and business leaders in their home countries to develop comprehensive strategies and actions.

	Participants, including ARC's Dr He Xiaoxin, gather at the Interfaith Climate Summit in Uppsala.

After a meeting in Poznan, Poland this week, the next crucial step will be the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009. At that meeting the parties to the UNFCCC will meet for the last time on government level before the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement aimed at preventing climate change and global warming, expires in 2012.

Meanwhile, the CIDSE (Cooperation for International Development and Solidarity)Catholic Bishops have taken the Poznan meeting as an opportunity to call for Climate Justice in a paper that can be downloaded here. Link here for more news about the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Poznan, Poland.

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