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The purpose of this web-based resource is to help environmental professionals consider why it is worth engaging with faith groups on environmental issues; publicise examples of global best-practice and show how faith groups might get involved in environmental projects or campaigns.
Prayer flags in Tibet; Bishop Sofie Petersen of Greenland and Ven. Prof. Jinwol Young Ho
Lee (Seon Master) at the RSE Arctic Symposium; Jews praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem
Resources
Read the full briefing on 'Faiths and the Environment' (or read the summary below...)
View the accompanying presentation 'Faiths and the Environment: What can we do?', a colourful slide-show highlighting the influences faith groups can have on the environment (N.B file size is 2.3MB).
Read CIWEM's Policy position statement on Faith and the Environment produced by the Policy team and the Faith and Environment Network steering group
Read the report from the celebration of the Alliance of Religions and Conservations (ARC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Many Heavens, One Earth
Links
ARC (Alliance of Religions and Conservation) - Encouraging faiths to use their far-reaching influence and resources for the widest possible environmental benefit
Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change - Website
London Sustainability Exchange - Website for London's voluntary, community and faith groups
Operation Noah - Website - Climate change for people of all faiths
The Big Green Jewish Website - Connecting Judaism to the Environment
The John Ray Initiative - Website - Connecting Environment, Science and Christianity
Summary of the briefing
Over 80 percent of the world’s population profess a religious allegiance. Even in many western countries where there is a growing secularisation in governance, a large proportion of the population still self-indentify with a faith group - 77 percent in Great Britain for example (Home Office, 2004).
Faith groups have the potential to be effective at overcoming the world’s environmental problems, because solutions to nearly all major environmental problems require to a significant extent, the following three conditions:
- Changes in public attitudes & behaviour
- A concern for the ‘greater good’
- Collective action
- Belief that the profound transformations needed to overcome environmental problems can be made
The characteristics of faith groups as communities bound by shared beliefs and behaviour-norms often with an altruistic focus and a narrative that promotes care for the environment, suggest that faith groups could be useful partners for environmentalists wanting to disseminate their message and bring about pro-environmental behaviour change.
Global case studies of best practice outlined in the briefing include:
- A Rocha (Christianity)
- IFAWAMI (Inter-faith)
- Association of Buddhists for the Environment (Buddhism)
- Africa Muslim Environment Network (Islam)
- Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (Judaism)
- Christians Caring for the Environment (Christianity)
- Orthodox Church - Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I (Christianity - Orthodox)
- ISESCO (Islam)
- Friends of the Bagmati (Hinduism)
- Catholic Earthcare Australia/ Sound of Many Waters (Christianity - Catholic)
- Faith Woodlands (Various faiths)
At the end of the briefing there is a comprehensive resources section, listing organisations, publications and potential funding sources which may be of interest to readers who are interested in investigating faiths and environment issues further.
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