Tearfund’s vision is built upon the Gospel, which, as Jesus proclaimed, is “good news for the poor” and an understanding that his reconciling and restorative work on the cross is good news for the whole creation. Our engagement with climate change is a direct outworking of this gospel foundation.
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to global efforts to end poverty. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the success of development interventions, more women and men than ever before have had the chance to experience lives free from poverty. However, the deepening climate crisis has started to reverse these gains and put more people at risk of poverty and hunger, as well as threatening to displace millions from their homes.
At Tearfund, we see these impacts on the communities that we work with. We witness the rains become less predictable, crops fail, diseases spread into new areas and the frequency and severity of weather disasters grow. We hear the plea from our partners around the world and communities in Pacific nations for substantive action to be taken to address what is, for them, an existential threat. Climate change threatens to force large numbers of Pacific communities from their homes and livelihoods. In some cases, there is a real threat that entire island nations are lost to the sea.
Climate change will affect us all but it is people living in the world’s poorest communities who are being hardest hit, despite contributing least to the problem and being the least resourced to adapt. We are compelled, by Christ’s love, to speak out and act in response to this injustice and we are longing to see more of the Church come alongside us in this vital work.
“We hear the plea from our partners around the world.”
