Dear Friends,
As Donald Trump is sworn in as US President, many are rightly concerned about what his return will mean for efforts to limit global heating. Trump has promised to slash US environmental regulations, cut funding for renewable energy projects and increase fossil fuel production. Shortly after his inauguration, Trump pulled the US out of the Paris climate agreement – all while wildfires, supercharged by fossil fuel emissions, were still burning across Los Angeles.
Despite the dangers of a second Trump presidency, both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband have called the global transition to renewables ‘unstoppable’ – and there is data to back up the claim, with the world now investing roughly twice as much in clean energy as it does in fossil fuels; that said, Guterres has called for major policy changes, noting that governments are still spending nine times more making fossil fuels cheaper than they are on making clean energy more affordable, while the International Energy Agency says the world must double clean energy investments by 2030 to meet climate goals.
This year, we’re working hard to stop new UK fossil fuel projects, reduce and capture greenhouse gas emissions on Church-owned land, call on the UK Government to pass the Climate and Nature bill, and rally Churches and faith groups around the world to invest in climate solutions and sign our Green Investment Declaration. As Trump emboldens climate sceptics everywhere, join us in campaigning for – and investing in – a liveable future.
