UN Climate Change Conference Journeying with your MP ahead of COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference 2020. For many USPG partner churches around the world, climate change is a critical issue. 2020 is an important year for church engagement in this area. The Church of England’s Lent campaign is focused on climate change, and it will also be an important topic of discussion at the Lambeth 2020 conference in August. Many churches of all denominations are also involved in preparations to support the UK hosting COP26 in November, the annual UN conference on climate change. The UK has the ‘soft power’ and technological expertise to act decisively and effectively in managing climate risk - from both a mitigation and adaptation perspective. As USPG seeks to work always through the local church, in mutually transformative partnership, UK churches can support the mission of the global church through political engagement - demonstrating to politicians the mandate for political leadership on climate change. UK churches are uniquely situated to effect change. This is why USPG work with Hope for the Future and are asking churches to meet with their MP this year, especially ahead of COP26. It would make a huge difference if every MP was hearing from churches in their constituency, voicing their support for the UK government to act to make COP26 a success, and offering to support their MP taking the corresponding actions within Parliament. One easy way to do this is to host a ‘climate write-in’ where church members sign a joint letter which can then be presented
to the MP. There are guides and templates available for this, and Hope for the Future can offer individual support to churches going through the process of meeting their MP – all the way from securing a meeting to preparing for it. While it can be daunting initially, churches that go through the process often say it how positive the experience of meeting their MP has been, and how it has given them the confidence and motivation to engage further. St Anne’s Church in Kew Gardens met their then-MP Zac Goldsmith last year and say ‘We would strongly encourage church members who live in other areas to approach their own MPs’.
Pictured: The shore of Mahajanga in the morning after tropical cyclone Gafilo Credit: Sascha Wittkowski via Wiki Commons
Contact rachel.mander@hftf.org.uk for more information on how to get involved. 6
