PC(USA)’s main ecumenical environmental partner is Creation Justice Ministries. Formerly the National Council of Churches’ Eco-Justice Working Group, Creation Justice Ministries is a great team of individuals representing myriad denominations. We are thankful for our common work, and for this powerful statement. (Click here to download a nicely formatted pdf to share around!)
October 23, 2015
(Washington, DC) – Creation Justice Ministries welcomes and celebrates the release of the final version of the Clean Power Plan.
As Christians, we are acutely aware of the threats posed by a changing climate. Already, we have seen rising floodwaters, severe droughts, relentless wildfires, disrupted access to food, harsher storms, higher rates of asthma, and increased vector-borne diseases. Climate change is most harmful to the vulnerable among us: people living in poverty, communities of color, older adults, children, and people living in countries least responsible for contributing to climate change.
Faith communities are on the front lines of providing relief to communities bearing unequal burdens of climate change. Now that the final version of the Clean Power Plan is released, our nation has a new opportunity to prevent suffering by limiting a major contributor to climate change: carbon pollution.
We urge every state to create a strong and effective state implementation plan that successfully meets carbon reduction targets — without shifting any costs to impoverished communities. Each state should meaningfully engage stakeholders in decision-making processes, especially people whose health and livelihoods will be most impacted by the shifting energy landscape. In particular, we encourage states to implement renewable energy projects that will meet state carbon reduction goals while generating new jobs for working families.
The Clean Power Plan recognizes the diversity of energy landscapes in the United States, giving each state an opportunity to account for the local economy as well as local eco-systems. As a nation, this is our chance to rise to a challenge. The challenge is truly immense, but so is our faith in humanity’s God-given capacity to innovate and organize for a better future. God’s creation is sacred, and we are called to responsibly steward the gifts of creation while protecting our vulnerable neighbors.
Creation Justice Ministries represents the policies of major Christian denominations throughout the United States. We work in cooperation with 38 national faith bodies, including mainline Protestants, Black churches, Peace churches, Baptist conventions, and Orthodox communions. Learn more at www.creationjustice.org