The Glasgow Multi-faith Declaration for COP26

Faith leaders have joined together to demand urgent climate action ahead of the UN talks in Glasgow.

A NEW DECLARATION FROM REPRESENTATIVES OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UK calls for people to be “advocates for justice” ahead of the Glasgow summit.

The declaration states:

“We remind governments of their commitments made in Paris in 2015 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, and of Article 17 of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights to protect the environment, the biosphere and biodiversity. We call upon them to take the urgent action needed to avert the loss, damage, and forced migration threatened by climate change.”

The faith leaders have committed to respond to this challenge by:

  • Reflecting deeply in prayer, meditation and worship to discern how to care for the Earth and each other, and to encourage our respective communities to do the same.
  • Making transformational change in our own lives and in the lives of our communities through individual and collective action.
  • Being advocates for justice by calling on governments, businesses and others who exercise power and influence to put into effect the Paris Agreement; to make the transition to a just and green economy a priority; and to commit to science-based targets that are aligned with a healthy, resilient, zero-emissions future.

The full text of the declaration can be read here.

Watch this short video of the declaration, featuring some of the signatories.

The Glasgow Multi-faith declaration is open for public signatures here

The signatories

UK Senior Faith Leaders

  • Archbishop Angaelos, Archbishop of London, The Coptic Orthodox Church
  • The Rt Revd John Arnold, Bishop of Salford, and lead Bishop for the Environment, Catholic Church in England and Wales
  • Imam Qari Muhammad Asim, Chair, Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board
  • Malcolm M Deboo, President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (Inc)
  • Revd Clare Downing and Mr Peter Pay, Moderators of General Assembly, United Reformed Church
  • Rabbi Joseph Dweck, Senior Rabbi, S&P Sephardi Community, UK
  • Revd. Lynn Green, General Secretary, The Baptist Union of Great Britain
  • Rev Sonia Hicks, President of the Methodist Church and
  • Barbara Easton, Vice-President of the Methodist Church
  • Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Former Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism
  • Rt Rev Andy John, Bishop of Bangor and Senior Bishop in the Church in Wales
  • Rabbi David Mason, representing Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis
  • Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra (Imam), Christian – Muslim Forum
  • Mr. Patrick O’Mara, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United Kingdom
  • Mrs Trupti Patel, President of the Hindu Forum of Britain
  • Juliet Prager, Deputy Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain
  • Imam Sayed Razawi, Chief Imam, Director General of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society
  • Rabbi Danny Rich, former Senior Rabbi and Chief Executive of Liberal Judaism in the United Kingdom
  • The Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, Head Priest of the London Buddhist Vihara
  • Dr Natubhai Shah, Senior leader, Jain Community UK
  • The Rt. Hon Lord Indarjit Singh of Wimbledon, Director Network of Sikh Organisations (UK)
  • Jasvir Singh OBE, Chair of City Sikhs
  • Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia OBE KSG, Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha
  • Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich and lead Bishop on the Environment, Church of England
  • Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism UK

Scottish Religious Leaders & Representatives

  • The Rt Hon Lord Jim Wallace of Tankerness, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
  • Elizabeth Allen, Clerk, General Meeting for Scotland, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
  • Imam Sohail Ashfaque, Blackhall Mosque
  • Lt-Col Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
  • Revd David Coleman, Minister of the United Reformed Church and Chaplain to Eco-Congregation Scotland
  • Allan Forsyth and Isadora Quay, on behalf of the Baha’i Community of Scotland
  • Rev Bonnie Evans Hills, convener Scottish Episcopal Church Interfaith Relations Committee
  • Madhu Jain, Hindu Mandir Scotland
  • Revd Dr Martin Johnstone, Glasgow Churches Together COP26 Ambassador
  • Ani Lhamo, Kagyu Samye Ling Buddhist Centre
  • Bishop Brian McGee, Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Interreligious dialogue
  • Rev Dr David Miller, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
  • Acharya Ji Mishra, Priest of Hindu Mandir Scotland
  • Ravinder Kaur Nijjar, Advisor Sikhs in Scotland
  • Imam Hassan Rabbani, Imam of Zia-Ul-Quran Mosque, Chair of Scottish Muslim Forum
  • Lama Yeshe Choje Losal Rinpoche, Abbot of Kagyu Samye Ling Buddhist Centre
  • Rabbi David Rose, Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation
  • Rabbi Moshe Rubin, Giffnock and Newlands Hebrew Congregation, Senior Rabbi of Scotland
  • Shaykh Sohaib Saeed, Al-Furqan Mosque
  • The Revd Mark Slaney, Chair Methodist Church Scotland
  • Sr. Isabel Smyth, Sisters of Notre Dame & Secretary to the Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Inter-religious Dialogue
  • Most Rev Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
  • Linsay Taylor, Muslim Council of Scotland and Chair of Interfaith Scotland
  • Dr Srihari Vallabhajousula, Honorary Priest, Hindu Temple of Scotland, Rutherglen, Glasgow
  • Ameed Versace, Climate Officer, Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society
  • Revd Paul Whittle, Moderator of The United Reformed Church National Synod of Scotland
  • Rev. George Whyte, Principal Clerk to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
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