The Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change, drafted by an international group of Islamic scholars, is a call based on Islamic teachings to cut greenhouse gas emissions and urges governments to agree on an ambitious deal during December’s Paris climate talks. It warns that the “current rate of climate change cannot be sustained, and the earth’s fine equilibrium may soon be lost.”

The Muslim declaration comes after June’s encyclical on the environment by Pope Francis, which warned of “serious consequences for all of us” if mankind does not act to halt global warming. Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, welcomed the Islamic declaration in a statement pledging solidarity to work towards a sustainable future.

But the climate change declaration, made during a conference in Istanbul, may carry less weight than the Roman Catholic equivalent because Islam does not have a single leader.

“The key message of the declaration … is to mobilize the Muslim community worldwide and get them to change their lifestyles and to start an education process,” said Fazlun Khalid of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences.

Available at: http://www.politico.eu/article/greenhouse-co2-emissions-paris-cop21-muslim-islam-climate/