Symbolic tree planting in the Luthergarten in Wittenberg, Germany, during the global young reformers meeting, Workshop Wittenberg, in 2015. Photo: LWF/Marko Schoeneberg
Statement from the LWF General Secretary
(LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) says a recently released report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is alarming. The report conveys the urgency of ramping up and accelerating action to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting mean warming to 1.5°C.
The report states that a fundamental shift in mindset and in our societies’ structures and systems is needed to avert the impacts of climate change and protect the most vulnerable.
In a statement issued today LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge says the LWF is "committed to ramp up its own efforts to address climate change. It has a strong mandate from the Twelfth Assembly to be a part of the solution as the human family finds ways out of this crisis. It will continue to engage with climate justice as a matter of intergenerational justice."
In the statement the LWF calls upon its member churches to:
- pray for the fundamental conversion of hearts and minds to embrace sustainable lifestyles
- further raise awareness about climate change and motivate their constituencies to act
- promote low-carbon alternatives through creative and innovative practices
- advocate with their governments to face the reality of climate change and take urgent and bold action
Furthermore, the LWF calls upon the community of states to:
- ramp up action to the needed scale, speed and ambition in the contexts of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and respecting human rights
- make COP24 a success by delivering a robust “rulebook” of the Paris Agreement
- commit and deliver the resources necessary to mitigate climate change and adapt to its adverse effects.
