At the start of the second annual London Climate Action Week, Bishop John Arnold of Salford joined UK faith leaders in calling for the government to focus its economic recovery strategy, post-COVID-19 lockdown, on the urgent need to reduce the impact of climate change. Bishop Salford is Lead Bishop for Environmental Issues for Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
In the open letter, representatives from Britain’s faith groups urged the government to develop a new shared vision for our common home, shared equitably, that is “rooted in sustainability and respect for nature and the earth’s resources” and “founded on the fundamental principles of justice and responsibility.”
London Climate Action Week was split into two parts this year due to the Coronavirus outbreak – a three-day digital event (1-3 July) that featured over 70 online events and discussions and a planned event in November 2020 to take stock of the capital’s climate change goals and also to serve as a platform for relaunching the momentum of climate action towards COP26 – the UN climate change conference to be held in Glasgow in 2021. The UK has the Presidency for COP26.