After Paris

The climate change agreement signed in Paris by 195 countries December 12, is of longstanding importance to The United Methodist Church. and the General Board of Global Ministries.The Creation Care Ministry Team of the General Board of Global Ministries participated in this historic United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris conducted November 30–December 11, 2015.

Global Ministries is committed to working together with church partners around the world to make positive contributions to the agreement goals as well as reducing its own carbon footprint. Global Ministries is also particularly attentive to global warming’s impact on vulnerable populations around the world.

When asked about the intersections between climate change and the quality of life for families in developing countries, the Rev. Pat Watkins, Creation Care Ministry Team leader, replied, “The world is very complicated. Issues of pandemic poverty and disease, environmental degradation, and the proliferation of weapons and violence are interconnected. Global Ministries’ mission in the world places us at the forefront of these issues.”

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) experiences the impact of climate change every day in its work to alleviate human suffering. “We continuously find ourselves working in areas where now there is too little or too much water, causes of farm and food insecurity. In nearly all areas of our work, we see the negative effects of climate change threatening the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people,” states the Rev. Denise Honeycutt, UMCOR deputy general secretary.

Global Ministries assists Cambodian rice farmers to adapt to changing climate patterns, connects with local church partners in the Asia and the Pacific Islands who relocate villages impacted by rising sea levels, and builds permanent housing structures to withstand typhoons in the Philippines.

Global Ministries also responds to global health issues triggered by global warming. “The impact of climate change on the social and environmental determinants of health—clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter are incontrovertible,” states Dr. Olusimbo Ige, executive director of the Global Health Unit. Ige continues, “according to the World Health Organization, between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress if current trends continue.”

In 2016, the Global Health Unit will launch a new campaign, “Abundant Health: Our Promise to Children,” at The United Methodist General Conference in Portland Oregon, May 10–20. The global focus of this campaign is to provide 1 million lifesaving interventions to children. As Ige describes, “The majority of illnesses and diseases the world’s children face are exacerbated by climate change. Over the next four years as the climate change agreement is implemented, we hope to see children’s lives shift from barely surviving to thriving.”