Will COP25 Make a Difference?

There was a lot of excitement about the Paris Agreement on Climate Change back in December of 2015. Most of the nations on Earth signed on to keep temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Well, it wasn't a binding agreement and different countries suggested time-frames and levels of commitment.but participants including official delegates and those attending NGO events were optimistic and hopeful. 

Four years later delegates are gathering once more, this time in Madrid, for the United Nations Convention of the Parties on Climate Change known as COP25. We know that neither China nor India, two of the world's biggest polluters, will send high level delegates. And the United States, has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement thanks to the climate-change denying Emperor Trump. When the Dirty Big Three won't participate, what can we expect. Canada will be represented by our new Environment and Climate Change minister but we're hardly a world leader.

I am still strongly appreciative of and committed to international cooperation to address the greatest threat of our time. I do wonder more and more about flying people from around the world to debate "aspirational" targets which few nations feel compelled to meet. 

I also wonder about faith groups sending delegates to these events despite the desire to offer a hopeful Creation Care perspective on the issues. The United Church has sent three people, Tony Snow and the Rev. Wendy Evans, supported by United Church General Council Office staff person Christie Neufeldt, to represent  The United Church of Canada in Madrid. I have no doubt that they are excellent choices. I am concerned, though, that as the UCC has shrunk, then reorganized its structure, we hear less and less about place-based action and encouragement to include reverence for Creation in our worship life.

This is not a criticism of national church staff who are under immense pressure to fulfill many responsibilities. I simply wonder whether this model is getting us where we need to be in the midst of a crisis. International reports tell us that we are at a global tipping point from which we may not be able to recover. Would it be a stronger statement to find other ways to collaborate? Will most United Church members have a clue that we have sent a delegation? 

Yesterday was the Sunday of Hope in Advent, so invoking the Spirit of the Living God who chose to live amongst us in the person of Jesus, the Christ, might be an antidote to pessimism. We can pray individually and in worship for Tony and Wendy and Christie as they attend COP25. We can ask that a miracle of world-changing collaboration will take place during these two weeks. 

Here is the link to the bios of the three in our delegation. https://www.united-church.ca/news/cop25-delegation-announcement

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