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Mercedes Caron from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina stated that around 30% of the land in the Mediterranean is considered to be under high or very high sensitivity to desertification. “What we need to do is to increase the Mediterranean forests’ adaptive capacity to the climate change - because the climate change is happening.” Caron highlighted the injustice that the Mediterranean region emits a low percentage of CO2, yet the temperature increases 20% faster in this region.
“Religious organisations which are in contact with local people must help in the fight against desertification,” stressed Rev. Jean Patrick Nkolo Fanga, director of the Ecumenical Institute for Theology Al Mowafaqa, based in Morocco. He urged that all religious traditions should take ownership of the measures to combat desertification, and carry out joint advocacy action.
“Many ongoing wars are due to the consequences of environmental destruction,” he stressed. “Theology has the duty to remind the people of the urgency of an integrated development in harmony with the environment.”
Our mindset should be that each of us plant at least one tree in three months, taking responsibility for greening areas to balance the ecosystems, said Garen Yosolkanian, archdeacon in the Armenian Apostolic Church and manager of the EcoJustice Unit at Middle East Council of Churches.
“We are seeing our youth, how they are so happy by planting the olive trees. In the Middle East, the olive tree is a sign of peace - and we have a lot of war here,” said Yosolkanian. Planting olive trees also makes a sustainable impact in the life of the churches. “The olive oil also is the main component in the polychrism (Holy Mirhon in Arabic), which is used in the confirmation sacrament and is the sign of the unity of Christians,” noted Yosolkanian.
“We need to see banks excluding all finance for fossil fuel expansion immediately - that's the first priority,” said Rosie Venner of the Just Money Movement. Some banks are making progress in this area by not providing finance to new fossil fuel projects, but there still are loopholes that enable banks to finance and invest in companies implementing fossil fuel expansion projects.
There are banks that have set their net zero commitments for 2050, says Venner. “We're beginning to see the transition plans to get us to the future we need - but the ratio of investments is not anywhere near where it should be.” According to Venner, still far too much is going into harmful sectors, into fossil fuel finance and not enough into the types of projects that will tackle the climate crisis.
There is a significant role that churches can play - as customers, as investors, and as a moral voice in society, beginning to shift public opinion on what banks are for and how banks should behave, said Venner. There are also increasing opportunities to engage in legal action as part of wider movements across society to hold banks to account, for example, for their greenwashing practices or their continued investment in sectors that are harmful for the future of our children.
The webinar aimed to sensitize churches and partners to the urgency of addressing desertification in the Mediterranean region, and the powerful, yet still largely unknown lever of responsible investment choices.
Frederique Seidel, WCC programme executive for Children and Climate, presented two new resources developed for churches and partners to accelerate solutions: the one-minute video “From Despair to Hope,” available in five languages, and a fact sheet Faith un Land - Faith in our Children's Future. She also announced an upcoming WCC handbook about the legal avenues for climate action and responsible banking. Churches interested in next steps are invited to write to [email protected].
Recording of the webinar "Addressing desertification through responsible banking"
