Faiths Are Still In
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns was among the over 35 national, state, and local faith organizations that signed a statement affirming commitment to the Paris Agreement of 2015, regardless of U.S. Federal support.
Faith Communities Call for Renewed U.S. Commitment to the Paris Agreement
Our faith-based organizations collectively believe that humanity has an ethical and spiritual responsibility to be caretakers of Divine creation, including one another.
For us, action on climate change is not just a scientific or political necessity – it is a moral imperative. Our faith traditions teach the interconnectedness of all life and the sacred duty to care for creation and for our neighbors, both near and far. The communities least responsible for climate change are suffering the most from its impacts – hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, flooding, and more – that lead to displacement, hunger, and hardship. We accept the scientific consensus on climate change and the urgency of a transformational response: the window to avoid the worst impacts of climate change is rapidly closing.
We reaffirm the essential role of America’s faith communities in opening hearts, raising awareness, and taking meaningful action to address climate change by reducing emissions and investing in adaptation. This moment demands that nations, communities, and faiths work together with urgency and resolve. To that end, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – including the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement – remains vital and necessary for channeling and driving global ambition and action.
As the world’s largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, the U.S. has a moral and strategic responsibility to lead on climate solutions. Global cooperation is essential, and the Paris Agreement represents a unified effort by nearly 200 nations to collectively combat climate change. The U.S.’ withdrawal undermines this spirit of global solidarity and imperils our own future along with that of everyone else. We are saddened and disappointed by the United States’ short-sighted stance to withdraw from these concerted efforts, and strongly encourage the Administration to change course and remain in the Paris Agreement.
As faith organizations, we continue to uphold the Paris Agreement as an important international mechanism to promote environmental stewardship, equity and shared responsibility. In line with our conscience and teachings, we will continue to pursue Paris-aligned emissions reductions and adaptation measures in our own communities – because that is what our faiths require of us.
If we fail to act now, the consequences will fall hardest on future generations, on the poor and vulnerable, and on Creation as a whole. Thus, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our common home.
Our communities – representing tens of millions of Americans – support the goals of the Paris Agreement and are taking concrete steps to fulfill them. We urge all people of faith and conscience to join us in:
- reducing our carbon footprint by investing in clean, renewable energy for our houses of worship and organizations, as well as our homes
- greening our buildings and grounds, weaning off of plastic and other petro-chemical products wherever possible, and measuring and addressing our environmental impacts in ever more sophisticated ways
- educating our congregations on our faiths’ deep-rooted call to care for Creation and for one another; and preaching from our sacred texts that love of Creator and of Creation go hand-in hand
- joining hands with one another – across faiths, politics, geography, race, class, and other potential lines of division – to pursue climate justice together.
We respectfully urge the Administration to reverse its decision, uphold previous U.S. commitments and reaffirm the Paris Agreement. We collectively affirm that Faiths Are Still In. And with unwavering devotion and increasing ambition, we pledge to work to protect our common home and create a more just and sustainable future for all.
See full list of Signatories
| NATIONAL |
| American Friends Service Committee |
| Aytzim: Ecological Judaism |
| Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy |
| Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life |
| Creation Justice Ministries |
| Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action |
| Dominican Sisters of Hope |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
| Father Anne Ministries |
| Franciscan Action Network |
| Franciscan Sisters of the Sared Heart |
| Friends Committee on National Legislation |
| Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns |
| Medical MIssion Sisters |
| Passionist Solidarity Network |
| Pax Christi USA |
| Presentation Sisters Union – US Unit |
| Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team |
| Sisters of Christian Charity |
| Union for Reform Judaism |
| Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice |
| United Church of Christ |
| United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society |
| STATE and LOCAL |
| Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, WI |
| Dominican Sisters of Sparkill |
| First Congregational United Church of Christ ABQ |
| First Congregational United Church of Christ, Albuquerque, NM |
| Laudato Si Movement Florida |
| NM Conference of Churches |
| Presentation Sisters, San Francisco |
| Sisters of Charity of New York |
| Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia |
| Sisters of St. Franciscans, Clinton, Iowa |
| St James, Taos |
| Church of St John xxiii of Ft Meyers, Florida |
| Texas Impact |