Today Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice in the National Capital Region (UUSJ) delivered a letter signed by Unitarian Universalist Association President Rev. Peter Morales to Todd Stern, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, urging the U.S. Department of State to speak out in support of a strong, compassionate, and binding international climate agreement at the COP21 Paris Climate Conference.

Six leaders from UUSJ traveled to the U.S. Department of State and met with Special Representative Shaun A. Casey of the Office of Religion and Global Affairs, his staff Liora Dana and Christine Li, and Jesse Young, Senior Advisor to Todd Stern, and discussed the letter (below), the Action of Immediate Witness on climate change passed at the UUA General Assembly in June, and the fact that a strong, international climate agreement is a moral imperative.

The Honorable Todd Stern
U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

August 18, 2015

Dear Mr. Stern:

Climate change is the gravest danger facing humanity today. We are already experiencing its effects—rising sea levels, catastrophic storms, species extinction—but the potential effects of climate change are even more devastating. On behalf of the Unitarian Universalist faith community, I write to you in advance of the COP21 Paris Climate Conference to urge the U.S. Department of State to speak out in support of a strong, compassionate, and binding international climate agreement.

More specifically, Unitarian Universalists encourage our U.S. climate negotiators to work for an agreement with strong provisions consistent with the paper Climate Change: Summary and Recommendations to Governments, 2015, endorsed by over 100 NGOs.

The reality of human-caused climate change is undeniably a moral issue. This past June at our annual General Assembly, Unitarian Universalists overwhelmingly passed a resolution entitled Support a Strong, Compassionate Global Climate Agreement in 2015: Act for a Livable Climate. Other faith communities have raised their voices in support of a strong climate agreement as well.

People of conscience are called to act not only for those who inhabit our planet now but for future generations. Let them not say of us, “They knew but did not act.”

I am grateful for your attention to this matter, and I wish you well at the Paris Climate Conference.

Rev. Peter Morales
President
Unitarian Universalist Association

Cc:  Hon. John Kerry, Secretary of State
Shaun Casey, Special Representative for Religion and Global Affairs