Quakers in Britain Call on UK Government to Act Faster on Climate Policy

Quakers in Britain say that confronting the climate crisis requires fundamental changes to how people live, what they buy, and how they use energy and other resources. The source states that Quaker worship and witness seek a truer way of living that allows the group’s testimonies to flourish. It also argues that a sustainable lifestyle depends on a sustainable economy, and it calls on government to invest in a green economy and to act now to keep fossil fuels in the ground.

The author writes that Quakers have long been willing to speak to government and that, over the past year, colleagues and the author have worked on behalf of Friends across the country to make their views on climate change heard by politicians. The source describes the situation a year earlier as one in which the UK government had said little about how it would meet its national climate obligations, despite what the author calls ever more alarming findings by climate scientists on the rate of global warming.

The author describes the position as changed by the following year, though with caution. In October 2017, the government released its Clean Growth Strategy, which the author says, despite shortcomings and gaps in policy, committed government to significant investments in energy efficiency, renewable power and green transport. In April, the government announced an intention to update climate laws to commit the UK to a net-zero emissions economy. The author calls this a big challenge but an essential one if the UK is to show global leadership on climate change. The source says serious questions remain about how the government will meet the UK’s climate target.

Earlier in September, Claire Perry, Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, asked the author to bring together a small group of faith leaders to speak with her about shared hopes and concerns for UK climate policy. The author describes the meeting as a chance to hold the government to account on climate obligations and to offer faith groups’ support for bold political action. The author says that encouragement and pressure from outside government are needed, and that faith communities, including Quakers, Jews and Muslims, are working together at national and local levels to cut emissions.

The author notes that the minister encouraged faith groups to “use our lobbying power.” The source says many Quakers are already writing to and meeting their MPs about climate change, and it points to briefings for Friends on emissions cuts that outline questions to raise with MPs. The author adds that Quakers do not need to be policy experts, and that what matters is using a Quaker voice to call on government to build a truly sustainable economy. The source describes faith groups as not party political but as concerned with policy. Speaking candidly to those in authority is the kind of honest speech the group is describing (Ephesians 4:15).

The source also announces a training event. On 1 December in Manchester, Quakers in Britain and Friends from Manchester & Warrington Area Meeting are teaming up with Hope for the Future to run a training session for Friends on engaging with politicians about climate change. According to the source, the training is open to all Quakers, whether they are experienced in lobbying or new to it.

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