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Field of crops in Bossey
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As a matter of faith, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and to doing our part to realise the Paris goals of keeping global warming to not more than 1.5 degrees Celsius,” said Sauca. Even before the concept became internationally known and discussed in political and business fora, the WCC was reflecting on sustainability and its relationship with poverty since the early 1970s.”

He noted that the WCC 5th Assembly in Nairobi in 1975 helped catapult the concept of sustainability to global recognition. That commitment has not only continued but expanded,” said Sauca. As churches, we are conscious that we have to live out Gods call to love our neighbours and to take good care for creation not only in our humanitarian and advocacy work but also in the way we operate and run our churches, seminaries, conferences, and so forth.”

He added that the role of the WCC is to lift up the voice of the churches in this time of climate crisis. Life requires this balance: we must sustain what is of value from the past, and prepare in the best way for the future, to meet the challenges of 2050Today,” he said. We must all work together in living out these principles, in Geneva, and across the world.”

At the end of 2020, the Permanent Mission of Switzerland in cooperation with the Permanent Missions of Denmark, Fiji, France, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Slovenia as well as the United Nations Office at Geneva and the United Nations Environment Programme/Europe launched 2050Today, the climate action initiative for international Geneva.

At the 8 June meeting, representatives of the these partners and others, including the WCC, signed a Cooperation Agreement establishing 2050Today as the Geneva Climate Action Forum for the benefit of international Geneva.

Address of the WCC acting general secretary at the meeting of the 2050Today initiative