News
“Church leaders and other leaders of faith communities played a vital role in Paris,” said Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), in an interview during the week following the COP21 UN conference on climate change.
In Paris, he said, there was a creative interaction among civil society, the most vulnerable communities and politicians, “working together in ways we haven’t seen before.” He praised representatives of religious organizations for “learning to speak the same language” in “representing the voice of the poorest communities who are worst affected by climate change.”
“Monitoring and implementation of the Paris agreement are of the utmost importance now,” Tveit continued, adding that pressure for environmental action must be maintained by religious bodies, civil society, business people and scientists.
“We have to be strong in our conviction that implementation of the Paris accord is possible,” he said, “and we must act to hold world leaders accountable to the commitments they have made.”
Since leaving Paris, Tveit has engaged in a series of meetings from Rome to London. The plight of refugees seeking shelter in Europe was one subject of discussion, as were COP21 and the papal encyclical on climate change, Laudato Si, released by Pope Francis earlier in the year.
In Rome, Tveit met with Roman Catholic cardinal Peter Turkson of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Professor Andrea Riccardi of the Sant’Egidio community and the newly elected president of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy, Rev. Luca Maria Negro.
In London, Tveit met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and with Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, general secretary of the world-wide Anglican Communion.
At the conclusion of the week’s travels, Tveit characterized his encounters as “very valuable meetings with discussions of many issues, including the possibility of building on the momentum of COP21 as religious leaders contribute to the ethical discourse at Davos early next year.” The World Economic Forum will hold its annual meeting at Davos, Switzerland in late January 2016.
Paris climate agreement hailed by ecumenical leaders (WCC press release of 14 December)
During Advent, WCC general secretary celebrates love, hope (WCC press release of 16 December)
Olav Fykse Tveit: Momenti di verità e di speranza (interview by Luca Baratto, NEV)
Listen to the Italian radio show Culto Evangelico on 20 and 27 December for audio extracts of the interview.
