Faith & Climate Change: A Guide to Talking with the Five Major Faiths

"Faith shapes the values and behaviour of billions of people....For climate communicators both within and outside faith communities, there is a need to better understand the language that works when trying to lift up the desire for action from the world's people of faith."

This guide is intended to provide practical guidance for climate communicators, both inside and outside faith communities, about what language works well and what language might pose an obstacle for communicating with any specific faith group. In April 2015, GreenFaith asked the United Kingdom (UK)-based organisation Climate Outreach to develop and test language around climate change that could mobilise activity across 5 main faith groups: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism in the run-up to the 2015 world climate conference in Paris, France.

Climate Outreach started by consulting a team of faith experts about the messages they found had been most effective in their work. They also drew on a wide range of research, educational materials, and faith-based climate change statements. From this initial research, they constructed trial narratives in the form of a speech or sermon. These are given in Appendix II. They then held narrative workshops within each of the 5 faith groups to discuss values, identity, and attitudes to climate change; they then appraised the trial narratives. Additional comments were provided via an online survey with over 650 individuals from all 5 faiths in 53 countries. Full details of methodology are given in Appendix I.

The report begins by exploring language (narratives) that can work across all faiths: (i) Earth care - a precious gift; (ii) Climate change is a moral challenge; (iii) Climate change is disrupting the natural balance; (iv) We live our faith through our actions; and (v) I take a personal pledge. For each of the 5 narratives, the guide proposes a narrative arc: (i) Validation - what you care for; (ii) Challenge - how what you care for is threatened; (iii) Action - how change can reflect your values; and (iv) Restoration - a return to your values and reinforcement of the world you wish to see.

Other portions of the guide examine: Three Potential Concepts; Language That Did Not Work Across Faiths; Other Emerging Ideas; and Faith By Faith: What Works & What Does Not Work.

Connected with the guide is a March 14 2016 webinar in which Climate Outreach shares and discusses the key findings from the above-described process and resource. See below for access.