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

The World Council of Churches, a fellowship of 352 churches in over 120 countries representing half a billion Christians, is proud to be a member of the 2050Today initiative. 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.

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. The WCC Assembly in Nairobi in 1975 called for a “Just, Participatory and Sustainable Society,” helping to catapult the concept of sustainability to global recognition.

That commitment has not only continued but expanded. As churches, we are conscious that we have to live out God’s 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.  In other words, how to practice what we preach!

Our role, as WCC, is to lift up the voice of the churches in this time of climate crisis. But we are also challenging ourselves locally in Geneva, where we have a real estate project underway, called “Green Village.” Design and construction bring opportunities to think afresh, with standards for the future. On the same land, we can have more green spaces, renewable energy for the buildings, more walkways and bike paths.  The ecumenical chapel in Grand-Saconnex represents heritage quality architecture. As part of the Green Village project, it will be renovated, working closely with the Geneva Heritage Office (Office du Patrimoine et des Sites).  

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. We must all work together in living out these principles, in Geneva, and across the world.

Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca,

World Council of Churches acting general secretary