More than one hundred Australian faith communities will ‘sound the alarm’ for the climate as part of a major global multi faith Day of Action on Thursday 11 March at 11am local time.
Churches will ring bells, Rabbis will sound the shofar, Imams will call the Azan and other groups are holding silent vigils to draw attention to a series of demands of Prime Minister Scott Morrison for climate justice.
The global Day of Action is in support of a “Sacred People, Sacred Earth” statement, which has been signed by prominent religious leaders, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Vatican’s ecology and justice spokesperson, Cardinal Turkson, and thousands of everyday people from a range of faiths.
President of the National Council of Churches in Australia Bishop Philip Huggins said: “We all need to be imaginative and generous together now to prevent a worsening climate emergency. Our Federal Government has a crucial leadership role both in our nation and as good neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region.
“The transition to net-zero requires we make a bold Australian contribution to COP26, as is expected by the Paris Agreement. It means coordinating Regional Industry Plans so that workers in fossil fuel industries can transition to durable and clean energy employment.
“We have the innovative expertise to ensure our economy flourishes and our climate is safe for this and future generations.
“We now just need the quality of coherent national leadership that, as with the pandemic, builds trust and takes initiatives to prevent more suffering,” urged Bishop Huggins.
In Australia, the lead organisation is the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC), which is part of GreenFaith International.
