Invitation to Religious and Interfaith Leaders and Communities
Kia ora …..
Concerned leaders of religious and interfaith communities around the globe are joining the call for the creation of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. We can now join them by endorsing the attached Call for the Treaty or the shortened version of the Call.
This Call, written by religious leaders, backgrounds the Treaty, a Treaty that will form a global alliance to govern the end to fossil fuel expansion, phase out fossil fuels, and ensure a just transition to non-fossil fuel energy sources.
Endorsing the Treaty Call
You can endorse this Treaty Call by emailing the Religious Diversity Centre by 30 September with your name, position and the name of your community or group and say whether you are endorsing it on behalf of your organisation. In early October we will send our local list to the global list of signatories. See this list at: https://fossilfueltreaty.org/faith-letter
The Religious Diversity Centre Climate Action Work Group thinks it is critical for Aotearoa NZ’s representatives at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, to support the Treaty Call. So we are asking you to join us in endorsing the Treaty Call and petitioning our COP28 delegation.
Where did this Treaty Call start
In March 2023 a bloc of Pacific nations, spearheaded by Vanuatu and Tuvalu, called for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty that would establish a global alliance to govern the end to fossil fuel expansion, an equitable phase out of fossil fuels, and a global just transition.
And the news was shared with us!
The third webinar in the Religious Diversity Centre’s webinar series ‘Building a Climate of Hope, E tū te mana o Te Ao’ offers a vivid picture of low-lying Pacific Island nations suffering hugely destructive direct climate change impacts. Dr Roro Daniel of the Cook Islands spoke of local people responding in creative ways in the face of such destruction. Mary Moeono-Kolio of the Pacific Climate Warriors told us about that decision of the political leaders at their Ministerial Dialogue in Port Vila, and urged us to support their call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Aotearoa New Zealand too knows the catastrophic impacts of Climate Change
We may not be dealing with the loss of our complete country as other peoples in the Pacific are, or scorching temperatures or wildfires as others are, but we need look no further than our own shores to see the horrific effects of climate induced devastation caused by increasingly devastating cyclones and torrential storms with the loss of homes, livelihoods and lives.
The Pacific Treaty Call is now a Global Call
The Treaty Call that started in Port Vila has gone global. To date it has been endorsed by 7 nation states, 89 cities and local governments, over 700 parliamentarians from 85 countries, 101 Nobel Laureates, the World Health Organisation, 200 Health Institutes, more than 2,150 NGOs, 3,000 academics, and 620,000 individuals.
By emailing us, you can join more than 270 faith leaders and groups who have endorsed the Treaty Call already, and help us petition our representatives at COP28.
Jocelyn Armstrong, RDC Co-Chair with the RDC Climate Action WorkGroup
Dr Paul Blaschke, Dr Mary Eastham, Robert Gibb, and Dr Richard Milne.
