NAIROBI, Kenya — Spiritual transformation is required for humanity to make fundamental changes in policy and practice in order to increase action for nature, faith-based groups stated alongside the U.N. Environment Assembly, Nairobi.
They also claimed that overconsumption is the main driver for climate change, pollution and loss of biodiversity.
The Faith for Earth Dialogue stated that emergencies are intertwined within a spiritual crisis, of ethics, moral responsibility, and value, in a final statement made in March.
Catholic groups participated in the dialogue with ninety faith-based organizations. The dialogue highlighted, among other topics, the challenges surrounding climate change, environmental preservation, and shared best practices in their work. Sessions also discussed partnerships and collaborations in climate change work.
“We are faith agents, living and practicing our beliefs everywhere in the world. The final statement stated that we are able reach billions of people worldwide in order to inspire change.
“Together, we can go further and faster than we can go apart. While each country has its own challenges, many of them are interconnected geographically. This means that we must work together,” Allen Ottaro said, the executive director of Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa.
UNEA was held in Nairobi, Feb. 28-March 2, under the topic “Strengthening Actions For Nature to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals.”
It was convened in a time when experts warn the world is facing a triple global crisis of climate change and nature and biodiversity loss. Plastic pollution is one of the greatest challenges.
Inger Andersen described it as “a triumph of earth over single-use plastics” and 175 nations endorsed an agreement for plastic pollution to be ended and forging a legally binding agreement by 2024. The resolution was one of 14 other agreed upon to strengthen nature action.
“This is the largest multilateral environmental multilateral deal since Paris accord. It is an insurance policy that plastic will not kill future generations,” stated Andersen.
Scientists have found that plastics can alter fertility, hormone, metabolic, and neurological activity.
