As wildfires and drought spread, Quakers urge PM to act
Quakers in Britain has joined the UK's leading climate organisations in urging Andy Burnham to prepare the public for the far-reaching changes needed to respond to escalating heatwaves, drought and wildfires.
The open letter, signed by more than 50 organisations including Greenpeace and WWF, came as the UK experienced its fifth heatwave of the summer.
Large parts of the country are in drought conditions and firefighters are responding to blazes across Britain.
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We are called to act as stewards for the world we have inherited
- Paul Parker
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The letter, signed by Quakers as part of the Faith for the Climate network, asks why the prime minister has remained silent on the driving cause of the extreme weather: climate change.
Climate change is already affecting people's lives, signatories say, through failed harvests, overheated homes, disruption to transport services and growing pressure on the NHS.
"It can no longer be treated as a distant or abstract issue," the letter states.
The organisations welcome the government's decision to hold a COBRA meeting in response to the extreme heat.
However, they argue that climate change, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, is making heatwaves and other extreme weather events more frequent and more intense.
They say that without publicly naming the cause of the crisis, the government will struggle to adequately prepare the country for future impacts and the changes needed to rapidly cut carbon emissions.
The letter calls on the prime minister to recognise the scale of the climate crisis, acknowledge its causes and use his position to help drive action to restore nature and rapidly achieve net zero.
Stronger leadership is needed to help the UK prepare for future climate impacts and seize the economic opportunities of the transition to a low-carbon economy, they say.
Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, said: "As people of faith, we believe we are called to act as stewards for the world we have inherited on behalf of future generations.
"We need leaders to speak honestly about the challenges we face and show the courage to pursue a just transition to a greener, fairer future.
“Communities are witnessing environmental devastation around them, from drought and wildfires to extreme heat, yet the Prime Minister has remained largely silent about the climate crisis driving these events. Urgent action is required."