Exploring the intersection between climate crisis & faith

ISLAMABAD, Jan 12 (SABAH): After many decades, faith and its interlinkages with climate and environmental crisis has become a central discussion as humanity seeks answers to the contemporary challenges said Dr. Adil Najam, President WWF, in a special conversation with Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director SDPI.

The special conversation was organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on Friday.

During the conversation the resurging interest in religions and faith, and their potential linkages with solutions to environmental challenges was discussed and the need for holistic approaches was emphasized by Dr. Adil Najam. He said that modern society for the sake of economic growth and development started to view religion as a barrier in realizing human potential and liberties. He said that when population growth became a major point of discussion in the 1960s and 1970s, religion and faith were pushed back.

As climate crisis has challenged survival of the planet, the emphasis on circular economy, responsible consumption and production, efficiency of work, and the intricate relationship between individual behaviors and nature have taken center stage. At the same time, all religions underscore the role of individuals and their free will and their impact on the environment, so not every stimulus we face can be attributed to God’s will. He said that while some may argue that any unprecedented climate disaster may be God’s will, there can be no denial that human actions like deforestation have contributed to it, despite religion urging us to protect nature and biodiversity. In times of crisis, humans tend to gravitate towards their beliefs and values for comfort.

Dr. Adil Najam said that to resolve our current challenges the global community needs large scale behaviour change, and we must explore the potential role that can be played by faith and values irrespective of  the fact if someone is religious or not. He stressed that behavior changes remain the focal point of the answer to climate crisis and irrespective of religious backgrounds behaving responsibly is the solution moving forward.