Loving Our Global Neighbour

Introduction

God’s love for the needy and vulnerable has inspired Christians throughout history to stand against suffering, persecution, and injustice. From the abolition of slavery in the United Kingdom¹ to the end of apartheid in South Africa,² faithful voices have been instrumental in advocating for the changes needed to ‘bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice.’³

Today, the world faces a new crisis, the consequences of neglecting our God-given responsibility over what Genesis refers to as ‘every living thing’ on Earth. From pollution to climate change to the loss of nature, the repercussions long predicted by scientists⁴ are fast becoming reality—increasing risks to health and infrastructure, diminishing food and water resources, and the displacement of entire communities and ecosystems.⁵

as a climate scientist, I do not see these as primarily scientific or environmental issues. Climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss are, at their core, moral and spiritual concerns.

Driven primarily by the consumption of wealthy countries and corporations, the impacts of these crises fall disproportionately on those least responsible—the poor, the suffering, the vulnerable, and those yet unborn.⁶ That is why, as a climate scientist, I do not see these as primarily scientific or environmental issues. Climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss are, at their core, moral and spiritual concerns. And they are the ones to which I believe we are called to respond, once again, with the love and commitment to justice⁷ that lies at the heart of our faith.⁸

What is Happening? The Reality of Climate Change

The case for urgent action is based on mounting evidence that Earth’s natural systems are approaching critical boundaries.⁹ Over the course of human civilization, the planet’s average temperature has been as stable as that of the human body, varying by only a few tenths of a degree. Yet, in the last century alone, this stability has been shattered. From thermometer and satellite observations to snowmelt dates and sea level rise, it is clear the planet is warming faster than at any time in human history—by 1.3 degrees Celsius so far, the equivalent of a planetary fever. As warming intensifies, it is increasingly affecting every aspect of life on this planet. Our cities and communities, food and water systems, economies and supply chains were all built for the stable conditions of the past. The disruption of this stability puts us all at risk.

How do we know these changes are human-caused? Because based on natural factors alone—the sun, volcanoes, and natural cycles—the Earth should be gradually cooling right now.¹⁰ Instead, our planet is warming rapidly, and scientists know why. Nearly three quarters of the observed warming is the result of heat-trapping gas emissions from digging up and burning fossil fuels, including coal, gas, and oil. Burning fossil fuels is also responsible for the air pollution that kills over 8 million people every year.¹¹ The remaining heat-trapping emissions come from deforestation, waste, and unsustainable food systems, which are also the primary drivers of the loss of the biodiversity and nature on which our own lives depend.¹²

Why is it Significant? The Urgency of Action

As carbon pollution and other heat-trapping gases build up in the atmosphere, they are essentially wrapping an extra blanket around the planet, causing it to warm. The warmer the planet, the more the weather dice gets loaded against us, increasing the frequency and intensity of dangerous heat waves, floods, storms, and more.

For example, climate change more than doubled the risk of the exceptionally hot, dry conditions that led to Canada’s largest record-breaking wildfire season in 2023.¹³ Smoke blanketed the skies across much of North America, spiking emergency room visits in locations as far away as New York City.¹⁴ In Spring 2024, an extended heat wave across Southeast Asia led to school closures, illnesses, and deaths across the region. It is estimated that climate change made this heat wave at least five times more likely.¹⁵ In Fall 2024, extreme flooding led to the destruction of communities and massive loss of human life in Central Europe,¹⁶ the Southeastern United States,¹⁷ Asia,¹⁸ and Spain.¹⁹ In each of those cases, the intensity of the storm and amount of rain that fell was much greater than it would have been in the absence of climate change.²⁰

The church cannot ignore these issues because they affect the very communities we are called to serve. While disasters affect us all, they do not affect us all equally. Those who are already vulnerable, who already do not have a safe place to live, or enough food for their family, or clean water to drink, or access to basic health care—they are the ones who are most impacted, and that is not fair.

The Longer-Term Outlook: Scenarios for the Future

Climate change is already exacerbating global inequality, food insecurity, and displacement. The further we continue along this path, the greater the impacts in coming years and decades. The science is clear that the largest uncertainty in future climate impacts is not technological or scientific—it is how humans respond. What we choose to do today will determine the trajectory of our future.

Imagine first ‘a world of inaction’, where the church and the world fail to alter the trajectory of societal choices. All too soon, more frequent and intense disasters will overwhelm relief efforts. Hundreds of millions will become climate refugees, forced by disaster and uninhabitable conditions to migrate. This could destabilize nations and contribute to conflict across the globe,²¹ making it harder for the church to operate in many regions, as well as putting billions at risk.

Next, imagine ‘a world of love-driven, proactive leadership’, where the church plays an essential role in fostering resilience and advocating for policies that protect the vulnerable. Churches and evangelical organizations partner with governments, charities, and local communities to ensure a better future—one where we eliminate pollution, protect nature, safeguard health, and provide food, water, energy, and infrastructure in sustainable ways that benefit both people and the planet.

imagine ‘a world of love-driven, proactive leadership’, where churches and evangelical organizations partner with governments, charities, and local communities to ensure a better future—one where we eliminate pollution, protect nature, safeguard health, and provide food, water, energy, and infrastructure in sustainable ways that benefit both people and the planet.

This may sound utopian; but many of the tools we need are already within reach. The Nature Conservancy, which I serve as chief scientist, is a leader in the development of regenerative food systems, from agroforestry to sustainable fisheries.²² These systems can be managed in ways that strengthen the health of soil and ecosystems, helping them become more resilient to climate impacts. Regenerative approaches can also enhance biodiversity and reduce the need for chemical inputs that pollute the water and soil.

Low-income neighborhoods in some of the world’s largest cities often experience high pollution levels and face elevated risks of extreme heat and flooding. The addition of greenery can reduce air pollution, lowering people’s inflammation levels. Trees also keep neighbourhoods cooler during heatwaves, reduce flood risk, improve residents’ quality of life, absorb carbon from the atmosphere, and create habitats for nature.²³ That is at least six wins!

Solar energy is now the cheapest form of electricity humans have ever known.²⁴ That is the primary reason renewable energy is growing so quickly around the world,²⁵ providing affordable electricity even in areas without traditional infrastructure. With clean power, families can light their homes, run small businesses, refrigerate food and medicine, and even access the internet. This in turn drives local economic development,²⁶ supporting services ranging from the education of women and girls (which in turn measurably decreases child deaths)²⁷ to helping farmers grow more food even in increasingly unpredictable conditions.²⁸

Care for creation is intrinsically linked to the well-being of people, particularly those who rely on the land for food and water, and who are most affected by climate impacts. Protecting the environment and promoting sustainable solutions not only safeguards creation but also improves human health and well-being. By leading with love, the global church has the power to catalyze actions that directly benefit people today as well as ensuring a better future tomorrow.

How Can the Church Respond?

Most people in the world are not even talking about this issue. Where better to begin the conversation than in a place where our faith shapes the dialogue? That is the easiest way climate action can start at the level of a local congregation. Through study groups, conversations, sermons and more, we can reflect on God’s love that has been poured out in our hearts and the gifts he has given us to serve others.

In the words of St Francis of Assisi, we can also ‘preach with our deeds’ and there, churches can model climate and nature-positive behaviour as well. Energy audits save money and carbon emissions. Church roofs can be ideal locations for community solar projects. Land can be used for pollinator-friendly gardens, community gardens, or even tiny forests.²⁹ Churches can also build climate resilience projects for the local community to be ready when disaster strikes.³⁰

church leaders can advocate for climate policies locally, nationally, and globally that prioritize the poor and vulnerable across the globe and encourage other leaders to do the same. By leading on climate action, the church can show the world through deeds, not just words, how we truly believe we should be recognized by our love for others (John 13:35).

Churches can partner with organizations working on climate justice and poverty alleviation: Tearfund, World Vision, A Rocha, Plant with Purpose, Operation Noah, Compassion International, and many others. Disasters are already affecting the logistics and effectiveness of the work of the church around the world. Floods, droughts, and conflicts over resources make it more difficult to reach certain areas and overwhelm budgets for relief and development organizations both domestically and abroad. Ensuring the organizations that do this work have the resources they need is more important than ever. In turn, such partnerships can raise awareness of conditions affecting people and the church that others might never otherwise have been aware of.

Lastly, church leaders can advocate for climate policies locally, nationally, and globally that prioritize the poor and vulnerable across the globe and encourage other leaders to do the same. By leading on climate action, the church can show the world through deeds, not just words, how we truly believe we should be recognized by our love for others (John 13:35).

Final Thoughts

The need for action is urgent. The consequences of neglecting our responsibility to each other and our shared home are no longer distant—they are here now, they are serious, and the church cannot wait any longer to act. 

As Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:7, ‘God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.’ Given the crises we face today, I believe this verse calls us to act with wisdom, sharing God’s love for each person and every part of his creation. Showing care for God’s creation—both people and all living things impacted by climate change, pollution, and loss of nature—is a true reflection of our faith and our God-given responsibility to love our neighbour as ourselves.

Endnotes

1. John Coffey, ‘The Abolition of the Slave Trade: Christian Conscience and Political Action’, Cambridge Papers 15, no. 2 (June 2006).
2. Tobias M. Masuku, ‘Prophetic Mission of Faith Communities During Apartheid South Africa, 1948-1994: An Agenda for a Prophetic Mission Praxis in the Democratic SA’, Missionalia: Southern African Journal of Mission Studies 42, no. 3 (November 1, 2014), https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC166018.
3. Theodore Parker, Ten Sermons of Religion (Boston: Crosby, Nichols and Company, 1853), 84–85.
4. Global Weirding with Katharine Hayhoe, ‘Just How Long Have We Known About Climate Change Anyways?’ YouTube video, 12 October 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpqBto89i38.
5. Katharine Hayhoe and Friederike Otto, ‘What Cutting-Edge Science Can Tell Us About Extreme Weather’, New York Times, 17 August 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/opinion/extreme-weather-climate-change.html.
6. Katharine Hayhoe, ‘A Climate for All of Us,’ The Nature Conservancy, 11 November 2021, https://www.nature.org/en-us/magazine/magazine-articles/climate-justice-hayhoe/.
7. Mary Robinson, Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future (New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019).
8. Maurice Sadlier, ‘The Great Injustice Staring Us in the Face,’ World Vision, https://www.wvi.org/opinion/view/great-injustice-staring-us-face; Katharine Hayhoe, ‘I’m a Climate Scientist Who Believes in God. Hear Me Out’, New York Times, 31 October 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/opinion/sunday/climate-change-evangelical-christian.html.
9. Johan Rockström, ‘The Tipping Points of Climate Change — and Where We Stand,’ TED, video, July 2024, https://www.ted.com/talks/johan_rockstrom_the_tipping_points_of_climate_change_and_where_we_stand?subtitle=en.
10. Global Weirding with Katharine Hayhoe, ‘This Is All Just a Part of a Natural Cycle, Right?’ YouTube video, 13 September 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5_zpjerQFo.
11. Karn Vohra et al., ‘Global Mortality from Outdoor Fine Particle Pollution Generated by Fossil Fuel Combustion: Results from GEOS-Chem’, Environmental Research, 195 (April 2021): 110754, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.110754.
12. Katharine Hayhoe, ‘One Planet, Two Crises: Tackling Climate Change and Biodiversity in the Fight for Our Future’, Scientific American, 22 May 2023, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/one-planet-two-crises-tackling-climate-change-and-biodiversity-in-the-fight-for-our-future/.
13. World Weather Attribution, ‘Climate Change More Than Doubled the Likelihood of Extreme Fire Weather Conditions in Eastern Canada’, 22 August 2023, https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-change-more-than-doubled-the-likelihood-of-extreme-fire-weather-conditions-in-eastern-canada/.
14. Michelle Bell, ‘Canadian Wildfires Impacted Health of Residents Hundreds of Miles Away,’ Yale School of the Environment, https://environment.yale.edu/news-in-brief/canadian-wildfires-impacted-health-residents-hundreds-miles-away. 
15. World Weather Attribution, ‘Climate Change Made the Deadly Heatwaves That Hit Millions of Highly Vulnerable People Across Asia More Frequent and Extreme’, 14 May 2024, https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-change-made-the-deadly-heatwaves-that-hit-millions-of-highly-vulnerable-people-across-asia-more-frequent-and-extreme/. 
16. World Weather Attribution, ‘Climate Change and High Exposure Increased Costs and Disruption to Lives and Livelihoods from Flooding Associated with Exceptionally Heavy Rainfall in Central Europe’, 25 September 2024, https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-change-and-high-exposure-increased-costs-and-disruption-to-lives-and-livelihoods-from-flooding-associated-with-exceptionally-heavy-rainfall-in-central-europe/.
17. Alejandra Borunda and Rachel Waldholz, ‘Climate Change Made Helene More Dangerous. It Also Makes Similar Storms More Likely’, NPR, 9 October 2024, https://www.npr.org/2024/10/09/nx-s1-5144216/climate-change-hurricane-helene.
18. Hau Dinh and David Rising, ‘Vietnam Typhoon Death Toll Rises to 233 as More Bodies Found in Areas Hit by Landslides and Floods’, AP News, updated 13 September 2024, https://apnews.com/article/vietnam-flooding-typhoon-yagi-deaths-95c5de93c84e636c32f2a875c77db0fa.
19. Nick Beake and Amy Walker, ‘Barcelona Hit by New Flood as Rescuers Search Valencia Basement Car Park’, BBC News, 4 November 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c937lq3dn05o.
20. World Weather Attribution, ‘Climate Change Key Driver of Catastrophic Impacts of Hurricane Helene That Devastated Both Coastal and Inland Communities’, 9 October 2024, https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-change-key-driver-of-catastrophic-impacts-of-hurricane-helene-that-devastated-both-coastal-and-inland-communities/.
21. Sherri Goodman, Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership, and the Fight for Global Security (Washington, DC: Island Press, 2024).
22. The Nature Conservancy, ‘Regenerative Food Systems: A Win-Win Cycle’, accessed 5 November 2024, https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/agriculture/. 
23. The Nature Conservancy, ‘The Green Heart Louisville Project’, 21 August 2018, last updated 27 August 2024, https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/un1ited-states/kentucky/stories-in-kentucky/green-heart-project/.
24. Simon Evans, ‘Solar Is Now ‘Cheapest Electricity in History’, Confirms IEA,’ Carbon Brief, 13 October 2020, https://www.carbonbrief.org/solar-is-now-cheapest-electricity-in-history-confirms-iea/.
25. Molly Lempriere, ‘Wind and Solar Are ‘Fastest-Growing Electricity Sources in History,’ Carbon Brief, 8 May 2024, https://www.carbonbrief.org/wind-and-solar-are-fastest-growing-electricity-sources-in-history/.
26. Jennifer Rosen, ‘How Renewable Energy Serves as a Catalyst to Broader Social Change,’ World Economic Forum, 10 May 2024, https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/05/how-renewable-energy-serves-as-a-catalyst-to-broader-social-change/. 
27. Michelle Kaffenberger, Lant Pritchett, and Justin Sandefur, ‘Estimating the Impact of Women’s Education on Fertility, Child Mortality, and Empowerment When Schooling Ain’t Learning,’ Harvard Kennedy School, 7 March 2018, https://www.hks.harvard.edu/publications/estimating-impact-womens-education-fertility-child-mortality-and-empowerment-when.
28. Sara LaJeunesse, ‘New AI App Predicts Climate Change Stress for Farmers in Africa,’ Penn State University, 23 September 2019, last updated 7 October 2019, https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/new-ai-app-predicts-climate-change-stress-farmers-africa.
29. Katharine Hayhoe, ‘FAQs: How Can Churches Reduce Their Carbon Footprint?’ accessed 5 November 2024, https://www.katharinehayhoe.com/faqs/#church-footprint.
30. Wheaton College, Humanitarian Disaster Institute, ‘Resources’, accessed 5 November 2024, https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/academic-centers/humanitarian-disaster-institute/resources/.