Evangelical Perspectives on Climate and Air
Oxford Declaration on Global Warming cont.
Forum 2002: Global Climate Change
Oxford, England, July 14–17, 2002

Action is needed now, both to arrest climate change and to adapt to its effects.

• We must take immediate steps to stabilize the climate. This means reducing global emissions of carbon dioxide (the most important greenhouse gas) to below 1990 levels well before the middle of the 21st century.
• While industrialized nations have largely caused the problem, its most severe effects fall upon the peoples of developing countries. Industrialized countries need therefore to make much greater reductions in emissions in order to allow for economic growth in developing countries.
• We urge industrialized nations to take the lead in reducing their emissions. They have the technical, financial and institutional ability to do so now.
• We urge industrialised countries to assist developing countries in gaining access to cleaner and renewable forms of energy.
• We urge that actions be taken to increase energy efficiency, in transportation, buildings and industry. Many actions can produce savings or be taken at little or no net cost. Examples were presented to the Forum of such actions by 38 major multinational companies.
• We urge greater use and development of renewable sources of energy.
• We urge increased financial investment and that banking initiatives be grasped to enable the necessary changes.
• The cost of inaction will be greater than the cost of appropriate action.
• Adapting to the impacts of climate change (e.g. droughts and flooding) is not an alternative to mitigation, but is essential given that the climate is already changing and further change is inevitable.

Christian denominations, churches and organizations need to take action to:

• Increase awareness of the facts of global climate change and its moral implications;
• Set an example through individual and collective actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
• Increase demand for technologies and products that produce less emissions of carbon dioxide; and
• Urge immediate and responsible action by national governments, in cooperation with other governments under the Framework Convention on Climate Change. This should be, first, to ensure the successful operation of the Kyoto Protocol (which some countries, including the United States, Canada and Australia, have not yet ratified) and, second, to establish an effective programme of emissions reductions in the period immediately following that covered by that Protocol.

We, the forum participants, recognize the urgency for addressing human induced climate change, repent of our inaction and commit ourselves to work diligently and creatively to adopt solutions in our own lives and in the communities we influence. We call upon leaders in churches, business and government to join us in recognizing human induced climate change as a moral and religious issue and to take necessary action to maintain the climate system as a remarkable provision in creation for sustaining all life on Earth.

"Forum 2002: Global Climate Change," a conference sponsored by the Au Sable Institute and the John Ray Initiative.

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