‘Intersection between climate crisis, faith can solve ecological crisis’

Islamabad: After many decades, faith and its interlinkages with climate and environmental crisis have become a central discussion as humanity seeks answers to the contemporary challenges said Dr Adil Najam, President of WWF.

Dr Najam said this in a special conversation with Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, organised by SDPIB here Friday. During the conversation, the resurging interest in religions and faith and their potential linkages with solutions to environmental challenges was discussed and the need for holistic approaches was emphasised by Dr Najam. He said that modern society for the sake of economic growth and development started to view religion as a barrier in realising human potential and liberties. He said that when population growth became a major point of discussion in the 1960s and 1970s, religion and faith were pushed back.

As the climate crisis challenges the survival of the planet, the emphasis on the circular economy, responsible consumption and production, efficiency of work and the intricate relationship between individual behaviours and nature have taken centre stage. At the same time, all religions underscore the role of individuals and their free will and their impact on the environment, so not every stimulus we face can be attributed to God’s will.

He said that while some may argue that any unprecedented climate disaster may be God’s will, there can be no denial that human actions like deforestation have contributed to it, despite religion urging us to protect nature and biodiversity.

In times of crisis, humans tend to gravitate towards their beliefs and values for comfort. He said that to resolve our current challenges, the global community needs large scale behavioural change, and we must explore the potential role that can be played by faith and values irrespective of the fact if someone is religious or not. He stressed that behaviour changes remain the focal point of the answer to the climate crisis and irrespective of religious backgrounds, behaving responsibly is the solution to move forward.