Irish Council of Churches. Irish Inter-Church Meeting

World turns to climate change talks in Paris

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© Sean Hawkey/WCC

Between 30 November and 11 December nearly 50 000 people will travel to Paris (France) for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) and related events. Those gathered include many church leaders from Europe and around the world, government delegates and political leaders, as well as United Nations agencies and civil society organisations. COP21 hopes to conclude with a binding and universal agreement on climate change, with the goal of keeping global warming below 2°C.

The Conference of European Churches has been preparing for the Paris proceedings for many months. A European contribution to the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace has focused on different pilgrimages and actions leading toward Paris. In October, CEC drew together 50 church leaders and pilgrims in Schwerte (Germany) for a consultation of climate change in preparation for COP21.

“Climate change is a global concern that intersects all our work,” remarked CEC General Secretary Guy Liagre. “These crucial talks in Paris must open up new possibility for the healing and redemption of God’s good creation.”

Church and ecumenical voices will be strong at COP21. The Conference of European Churches has teamed up with a number of ecumenical organisations to provide coverage as events unfold in Paris. Videos, photos, interviews, and reflections are being posted through World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation, ACT Alliance, World Communion of Reformed Churches, and Our Voices social media channels (please click through to their respective homepages for more information). For more faith–based events visit cop21religions.org

CEC will be posting reflections from Paris on the CEC Pilgrimage website and sharing content on Facebook and Twitter. At the close of the proceedings, CEC will offer a statement responding to the outcomes of these important climate talks.

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