Agreement between many parties is never easy, and as a religious person, I am reminded of this when I review centuries of religious conflicts. But this year, a somewhat miraculous thing happened: the world's great faith traditions came together to support action on climate change. From the leadership of Pope Francis, to statements from the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the world's foremost leading Muslim scholars in the Islamic Declaration on Climate Change, an outpouring of unprecedented unity occurred.
On the eve of my departure for the UN Climate Summit in Paris, I am wondering if this religious unity will serve as a model for the 192 nations gathered in France. But it may not be so easy. Having worked on the climate issue for many years, I see one thing standing in the way of this historic agreement: money. Finance for adaptation and mitigation for the countries who have contributed the least to this problem yet suffer first and the worst.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was proposed to be a vehicle by which industrialized nations would support the poorest nations of the world to mitigate climate catastrophe and simultaneously continue to grow their economies and quality of life without having to rely on fossil fuels. Restitution and support are moral concepts and they should have the backing of moral individuals. But right now, a major challenge to the GCF is coming from the U.S. Congress.
As most members of Congress profess to have religious faith, I challenge them on their stance. We, as believers in one God and creation, are called to serve the poor. Not only that, we are called to promote justice and we are called to be people of our word. The poor nations of the world did not cause the problem, but they suffer the consequences of the actions of countries like the United States of America. We have enjoyed to the fullest all that coal and oil and economic growth can provide. We, as a nation, have more than we need. In the words of the gospel writer Luke, "To those whom much is given, much is required." It is time for us to help those nations whose people have been harmed by our progress.
It won't hurt us to find the funds that will fulfill our own commitment to the GCF. But despite the U.S. having pledged $3 billion and Obama's 2016 budget calling for $500 million, Congress is now holding back on our responsibility to share some of the wealth that was built on the backs of the poor. It is embarrassing for our nation NOT to support the poor of the world, but worse, that we said we would and are now considering reneging on the promise. Shame on us.
I am usually proud to be an American. As I bump shoulders in Paris with national leaders from poor nations who are looking to the US for a fulfillment of the commitment made in Copenhagen, I hope I can stay proud and not be ashamed. At Interfaith Power & Light, we believe that #AllAreCalled to act on climate change and support others in doing so, even the US Congress.