By Abdullahi Lukman
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has released a new climate justice handbook, urging Christians globally to take legal action against polluters and their financiers.
The handbook outlines practical ways for faith organizations to address the climate crisis, with a focus on protecting young people and future generations.
Drawing on Christian principles of stewardship and justice, the WCC advocates for strategic litigation as a tool to hold responsible parties accountable.
The document observes that while many faith leaders, including Pope Francis, have spoken out on climate change, advocacy alone is no longer sufficient as CO2 emissions continue to rise, primarily due to the expansion of the fossil fuel industry.
The handbook stresses that legal frameworks are consistent with Christian values, as faith calls for truth-telling and holding powerful entities accountable.
Climate litigation, it points out, has grown significantly in recent years, with lawsuits increasingly targeting fossil fuel funders like public and commercial banks, pension funds, and credit agencies.
Legal action can shift public discourse, spark policy changes, and reduce the financial viability of fossil fuels, potentially making renewable energy technologies more affordable.
The WCC’s approach also draws attention to the systemic impact that focusing on financial actors could have, an impact that might not be achievable by targeting individual companies.
Faith-based legal interventions have already gained traction, with one example being a lawsuit by Indonesian island residents against Swiss cement producer Holcim, supported by Swiss Church Aid.
In the U.S., the WCC is collaborating with legal experts to explore litigation opportunities, including potential cases involving damages from wildfires linked to greenhouse gas emissions.
The handbook also discusses non-litigious actions, such as questioning financial institutions about their investments and encouraging churches to divest from fossil fuels.
While the handbook is not meant to be political, it acknowledges that legal actions could provoke backlash, and it leaves decisions on methods and mechanisms to individual churches and their local contexts.
Vanessa Nakate, a climate justice activist, wrote in the foreword that the handbook challenges the exploitation of resources for individual gain and calls for an eco-centric approach to justice.