Statement of the Pacific Conference of Churches on Climate Change and Resettlement

11 April 2011- PACNEWS

“God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth‘” (Genesis 1:28 NRSV).

The Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) stands in solidarity with those who have, are, and will undergo the process of resettlement whereby people are being forced to leave their homeland.

Climate change will result in the loss of life, land, and liberty. It is our prophetic responsibility to comprehensively address issues confronting the realities of resettlement as a consequence of climate change.

Reaffirming the Pacific church leaders’ Moana Declaration in 2009, we make the following call:

We call upon church communities in the Pacific:

- To be proactive in regards to the seriousness of climate change by seeking to implement adaptation and mitigation initiatives

- To advocate against the injustices brought about by climate change and call on all political leaders and governments to take immediate action in consultation with all communities

- To increase awareness of climate change and its severity within religious bodies and communities

-To provide hope to those most affected by climate change by offering accompaniment, advice, and resource assistance where practical

- To encourage ecological stewardship and responsible, locally appropriate sustainability practices

- To reflect upon and challenge our embedded theologies in regards to climate change, the need for our shared accompaniment and responsibility towards creation

We call upon industrialised countries:

- To ensure that an equitable, ambitious and legally binding post-Kyoto climate deal is secured in Durban, South Africa (COP 17)

- To grasp the reality that 20% of the global population exploits 80% of the world’s resources and that the Pacific region is responsible for 0.006% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions

- To support the establishment of an international convention that specifically addresses the unique situation of “forced climate migrants”

- To allocate equitable and just financing for the purposes of adaptation and mitigation programs in most vulnerable countries and communities

- To embody a spirit of accountability and interconnectivity in regards to international climate change referendums

- To acknowledge the close link between the fight against poverty and the struggle for climate justice in their strategic and practical approaches

- To reflect on the impact of their policies as well as the lifestyles of their people on both the climate and on vulnerable and poor people

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48)

The PCC believes that failure to act would result in further loss and irreparable devastation to all of creation. PCC understands that this is an issue of ecological justice because people who have contributed the least suffer the most. Inaction is unjust.

“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)

For further enquiries, please contact: 

Mr Fe’iloakitau Tevi

General Secretary

Pacific Conference of Churches

Tel: (679) 3311 277

Email: tevi@pcc.org.fj