In a meeting with the Swedish Deputy Prime Minister this week, the Conference of European Churches challenged the Swedish government, which will take over the presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2001, to re-start the negotiations from The Hague as soon as possible, and to encourage European Union member states to maintain any higher targets which they had accepted, and not to use the setback of The Hague to reduce their commitments. The European Union should also be instrumental in urging all industrialised countries, inside and outside the Union, first of all to reduce CO2 emissions on their own territory. It is often said that climate change constitutes a threat to future generations. In fact, weather phenomena seem to indicate that the change is not for a distant future, but for the next and even our own generation. Disasters are claiming an increasing number of victims, especially in the countries of the South which are more vulnerable and less equipped to counteract the impact of climate change.
Governments can only act if they are supported by public opinion.
The churches have every reason to raise their voice. Christans believe that humankind is called to responsible stewardship of God s Creation. We are at a crucial moment in this respect. Christianity has strong roots precisely in the industrialised world of Europe. It therefore also has the responsibility to raise the conscience of this region on the implications of the refusal to act now.