Climate change: what can I do?
“I used to think that the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that thirty years of good science could address these problems. I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy, and to deal with these we need a cultural and spiritual transformation. And we scientists don’t know how to do that.”
Climate change is a pressing global issue, but as we grapple for solutions that we can implement at a household or community level, the wero (challenge) can quickly overwhelm us. This year presents an important opportunity for us to answer that challenge, so we spoke to our Advocacy team to find out more.
After the passing of the Zero Carbon Act in 2019, which commits Aotearoa to go carbon neutral by 2050, it's now time for the Government to set our targets for how we're going to get there. In order to help keep global warming increases to a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius, we need to reduce our emissions by 50% in the next nine years. Now, we all have a chance to tell the Climate Change Commission what we think of their ideas, and influence the decisions that will impact generations to come.
"We all want to make changes in our lives but small changes like walking more or purchasing an electric vehicle are no longer enough," says Matt Crawshaw, our diocesan manager for social transformation. "We need change to be led at a governmental level, and we as a church need to act together." Matt reminds us that our movement is no stranger to collective action. In 2019, we collectively submitted over 500 submissions to Parliament on the proposed Zero Carbon legislation. "It can sometimes feel like we don't know if our individual submission makes a difference, but when we submit together, our voice is stronger," he tells us.
That's why our diocese will gather together on the deadline for submissions for another Climate Mission, which we've called the Mission for Submissons. On the 14th of March, we're encouraging all of our churches to either host a speaker or to allow a champion from amongst our own congregations to speak about the Mission, and to then collect submissions from as many members of the church as possible. We'll gather these up and submit them to the Climate Change Commission.
Our consistent advocacy in this area is vital, Matt says. "It took Wilberforce 40 years. So we're going to be people who keep showing up." Matt, along with diocesan Advocacy Enabler Kate Day, have been visiting cluster meetings recently to let our church leaders know how important their roles are. "You're messengers of hope, and champions for change," they told the gatherings.
They also updated the groups on just what the Commission is suggesting. New Zealand cannot rely on carbon emission off-setting, they say. They recommend banning imports of fossil fuel light vehicles, and moving our national fleet to electric vehicles. Their recommendations also include achieving 99% renewable energy, prohibiting new installations of gas and coal heating, diverting organics from landfill and a massive increase in walking, cycling and public transport.
Submissions are open now on the Climate Change Commission website, and church leaders can register to be part of the Mission for Submissions at movementonline.org.nz/climate. We'll provide the resources, including a Lent sermon themed around creation care.
