Urge the New Administration to Go Even Further Than the Paris Accord

From Interfaith Power and Light (http://interfaithpowerandlight.org):

President Biden re-joined the Paris climate accord – but it’s only the very beginning of what we need to do to get the U.S. and world on track to a truly sustainable future.

The next step is setting ambitious goals and demonstrating real commitment to reduce our country’s carbon pollution, along with support to help the developing world adapt and transition to clean energy. As the world’s richest country and largest historical emitter, we have a moral obligation to support communities suffering the most from a changing climate.

Go to https://interfaithpowerandlight.salsalabs.org/beyondparis/index.html to urge the Administration to go even further than the Paris accord and cut U.S. emissions in half by 2030 and reach 100% clean energy by 2050, while supporting developing nations. 

The good news is we have already begun working toward those goals! While the previous administration was rolling back climate protections, we were continuing to reduce emissions in our houses of worship, homes, schools, and other institutions. Some of us have cut our own emissions by half or more already.

If you and your house of worship, household, school or other institution have continued to faithfully steward your resources, save energy, maybe even installing solar panels on your rooftop, please add your name.  All of those efforts should embolden the Biden administration to increase our ambition. Click here to sign the petition to urge President Biden to strengthen our commitments beyond the Paris agreement.

At the U.N. climate conference later this year, other nations will want to see what the world’s largest historic polluter has done since we exited the accord, and what we will pledge to do as we rejoin. Internationally, the fact is current pledges are not sufficient to keep global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius — or even under 2 degrees, the upper limit of the Paris accord. A strong and credible commitment from the U.S. will encourage other countries to step up their own ambition.

Let’s show the world, and the new Biden administration that we, communities of faith and individuals of conscience, have been doing our part. The U.S. will create a new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) by Earth Day. This commitment will be our country’s pledge to reduce emissions. We need the ambition of that pledge to match the urgency of the climate crisis.

With the U.S. back at the table, we have a chance to avoid climate disaster and protect our children’s future, and all of Creation. But we must have ambition, and faith, to get there.