LONDON, UK, Oct. 31, 2009 -- CIWEM is putting its weight behind a statement that calls upon UK negotiators at Copenhagen to fight for a deal that ends our unsustainable reliance on fossil fuels and puts in place urgent measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Faith organizations and groups such as CIWEM's Faiths and Environment Network have pledged to raise awareness of the real potential for catastrophic climate change; increase public support for an ambitious, fair and effective deal at Copenhagen; redouble efforts to reduce emissions that result from institutional activities; work with partners to mitigate the effects of climate change on the developing world; and to press governments to support these efforts.
The statement was signed on 29th October at a climate change seminar in Lambeth Palace attended by CIWEM's Executive Director, Nick Reeves, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the Archbishop of Westminster Most Rev Vincent Nichols and Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks.
CIWEM believes that faith communities have a crucial role to play in pressing for changes in behavior at every level of society and in every economic sector, and continues to call for cooperation between all faiths to provide an ethical and environmental framework that will inspire urgent action on climate change.
CIWEM's Executive Director, Nick Reeves, says: "We need the world's faith groups to collaborate for action on the environment, coming together to hold the world to account. The signing of this statement is a wonderful step forward in faith groups using their unique access to governments, opinion formers and institutions to lobby effectively on environmental concerns."
About CIWEM
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) is an independent professional body and a registered charity, advancing the science and practice of water and environmental management for a clean, green and sustainable world. CIWEM's Policy Position Statement on Faiths and the Environment can be found at http://www.ciwem.org/policy/policies/index.asp
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