Introducing the Multifaith Sustainable Living Initiative Living the
Introducing the Multi-faith Sustainable Living Initiative
Living the Change - a Multi-faith Sustainable Living Initiative OUR COMMON HOME Earth is a blessing. She supports life and is the basis of all our economies. She conveys beauty and evokes our recognition of something greater than ourselves. She is our temple, our mosque, our sanctuary, our cathedral. Our home. OUR SHARED JOURNEY Our faiths and values help us live so that our lives become a blessing to the Earth. We are committing to make changes in our own lives. Together, we come to you with an invitation to a journey towards sustainable living. We invite you to join us in Living the Change.
Why spiritual and faith communities? ● 84% of all people belonging to a spiritual or faith tradition; values support sustainable living ● Houses of worship are literally everywhere, create community for billions ● No other sector has greater potential for transforming consumption habits.
Why does Sustainable Living matter? We are not on a road to a future with a safe, stable climate. Our current trajectory is a future where hundreds of millions of people are displaced, impoverished, deprived of a decent life. Political action still matters urgently. It always will. To meet the Paris Agreement goals, we now need a broader array of responses. ● Sustainable lifestyles, at scale, represent an important contribution to reduce CO 2 emissions. ● Research shows that people who live sustainably are more credible climate spokespersons. Leading by example makes us more effective change agents. ● Personal action, at scale, accelerates and ensures cultural and political change. For all these reasons, faithful choices for a flourishing world matter. That is why we invite people of faith and spirit to make a pledge to live more sustainably, and help ensure a 1. 5 C future.
What behaviors matter most? We want our behavior changes to make the greatest difference possible. Research shows conclusively that in a large majority of contexts, three behaviors matter most: ● ● ● Transport - Dramatically reduce car and air travel Home energy use - Conserving energy, greater efficiency, 100% renewable energy Diet - Plant-based diets, meat only for extremely special occasions, reduce food waste To make the biggest impact, focus on these!
The 3 Priorities of Sustainable Living
For example: Food Consumption “It is no surprise that feeding 7. 6 billion people accounts for over about 22. 5% of annual global emissions of greenhouse gases. Meat, aquaculture, eggs, and dairy occupy about 83% of the world’s farmland contribute around 57% of food’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, yet provide just 18% of our calories. Meanwhile, rising incomes and urbanisation are driving a global dietary transition in which traditional diets are being replaced by diets higher in meat, refined sugars and saturated fats, which carry a far greater emissions burden. If this trend is not broken, diet will be a major contributor to an estimated 80% increase in greenhouse gas emissions per year and biodiversity loss from food and land clearing by 2050. To cut emissions in the food sector, we must swing the pendulum back in the other direction – reversing this change in higher-income countries, and slowing its progression in lower-income countries. By 2050, if 50% of the world’s population restricts their diet to a healthy 2, 500 calories per day and reduces meat consumption overall, at least 26. 7 gigatons of cumulative emissions could be avoided from dietary change alone. ” Johan Falk, Owen Gaffney, et al. Exponential Climate Action Roadmap. Future Earth. Sweden, September 2018
Our approach to change ACTION I Religious and spiritual leaders who are committed and involved ACTION 2 Narratives and communication that position sustainable living as an embodiment of values and a moral response to a crisis ACTION 3 Faith and spiritual community activities and education that promote sustainable lifestyles ACTION 4 Peer-to-peer coaching ACTION 5 Public celebration ACTION 6 Connecting individual and system change
How our faith inspires us - Stories of change Our Prophet (peace upon him) is a Every thought, word and action of In a society that glorifies excess and model of simplicity. One cannot mine has an impact on myself, other fears inconvenience, eating a plant- claim to be a true follower if one people and the world. based diet is a simple discipline that does not strive to emulate his Understanding the law of ‘karma’ keeps me grounded and reminds me simplicity in living and doing without (action and reaction), I aspire to give to keep making choices that much. more than I take. respond to the urgent cries of our Imam Zaid Shakir Sister Jayanti, USA European Director of Brahma Sister Christina Tomy Kumaris, UK/India Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, More stories: https: //livingthechange. net/stories-of-change Earth, our common home.
“Living the Change” commitments by faith leaders and communities ● Tariq Al-Olaimy, a Muslim leader from Bahrain, commits to minimizing his use of air conditioning and to eliminating food waste in his home. ● The Bahu Trust in Birmingham, UK commits to converting 12 of its 22 mosques to use 100% renewable, solar energy. ● Hening Parlan, a single mother of two in Indonesia, commits to consuming local, traditional organic food in her home. ● The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a humanitarian organization, commits that by 2020, 100% of their offices, hospitals and education centers in 95 countries will be fully vegetarian. ● Adam Lobel, Shambhala acharya of practice and education, commits to cycling and walking for his daily transport needs and converting his home to 100% solar power.
. . . more “Living the Change” commitments ● Bishop Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance of 600 million Evangelicals in 129 countries commits to a vegetarian diet and to power his home with 100% renewable energy, while the WEA commits to leading at least 20% of its global footprint to be powered by 100% clean renewable energy within five years. ● Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black of Victoria, Australia commits to installing a solar array that will power his home, to eat meat only once weekly, and to eliminate food waste in his household - while continuing to advocate and undertake peaceful direct action to protest the development of new coal mines in Australia. ● Dr. Sailesh Rao, the Executive Producer of documentary films including Cowspiracy and What the Health, commits to sign up at least 150 institutions to have an all-vegan policy by 2019, the year of Mahatma Gandhi's 150 th Birthday. See those commitments being made at the Global Climate Action Summit: (link Youtube)
Now it’s your turn! Go here to make your commitment: https: //livingthechange. net/commitment-tool
We come together because we want to ● align ourselves with our deepest faith values ● allow a future for all and take care of the Earth our home ● reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent waste and harm ● send a strong message to others in our communities and to decision-makers in business and government
. . . you are part of a grassroots movement in 20 countries, across 6 continents Local events during the “Week of Living the Change”
Next Key Events in 2018 15 October - 2 December Time for Living the Change in 100+ globally distributed events in faith communities around the world, gathering commitments to sustainable living and starting the change. 3 -8 November Parliament of World Religions with 10. 000+ religious leaders and actors meeting in Toronto, Canada will also focus on Climate Change. 3 -12 December United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 24 in Katowice, Poland with religious representatives of Living the Change delivering all commitments and testimonies to decision makers.
Get involved ▪ Inform yourself, try new behaviours, start “Living the Change” ▪ Make a commitment to „Living the Change“ ▪ Organize an event/worship service/action during the „Week of Living the Change“ ( 7 -14 October 2018) or the following “Time for Living the Change” (15 October - 02 December) ▪ Share, retweet and engage on our Social Media Platforms with #Livingthe. Change ▪ Share your Story of Change with us ▪ Become an implementing organisation More information: www. livingthechange. net Contact: Caroline Bader caroline@greenfaith. org
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