Infostelle Klimagerechtigkeit

Movement Profile

The German Bishops Conference, in its expert report “On the Challenge of Global Climate Change”, wrote that “global climate change probably represents the greatest existential threat for the present and, to a much greater extent, coming generations. We must actively address this challenge. As those to whom God entrusted creation as a loan, we humans bear responsibility for its well-being.”

The Platform for Climate and Development promoted by churches, mission agencies and development services defines two dimensions of injustice concerning climate change: Climate change exacerbates poverty and threatens life; it also destroys natural resources, undermines opportunities for development and reinforces injustice. People living in poverty – especially in the countries of the Global South – bear the brunt of climate change, the over-consumption of energy in industrialised countries and of the global consumer classes. In addition, misdirected climate protection strategies, such as the use of agro-fuel to cover high energy consumption, threaten food security for many people in the Global South. 

But how do we achieve justice in the context of climate change? How do we achieve fair development chances for all human beings in this and future generations? These are the questions the Infostelle Klimagerechtigkeit has tried to address since its formation in 2005. Like the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany wrote in a recent memorandum, “we are convinced that a radical change of mentality in policy, economy and society is necessary. Such a shift to a truly sustainable, nature-friendly economy and way of life requires a reversion, in Biblical language, metanoia, which is to say, a radical change of mind.” 

Climate protection begins with us

In our opinion this radical change of mind has to start in the world’s industrialised countries. At this point, change is required not only by individuals but also in the Church as an institution.

The Infostelle Klimagerechtigkeit intends to make people aware of the foreseeable global ecological and social consequences of climate change. We want to make people aware that global climate change is a problem of global justice, so that they give it a higher priority on their personal agendas. We want to inspire and motivate people to think about their way of life and how this contributes to climate change. In addition, we want to motivate them to get involved and take part in political debates and protest concerning climate protection and climate justice.

As the ecumenical Platform for Climate and Development says, “Climate change challenges us. We must take a critical look at values and models which shaped our personal life, our economy, politics and society up to now.”

About Infostelle Klimagerechtigkeit

The Infostelle Klimagerechtigkeit (Information Center for Climate Justice) is an institution of the Centre for Global Ministries and Ecumenical Relations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany. Infostelle Klimagerechtigkeit performs two key activities:

1. Education on the topic of climate justice
2. Development of carbon offset projects and participation in the Klima-Kollekte, a CO₂ compensation fund organised by Christian churches in Germany

The Centre for Global Ministries and Ecumenical Relations is also a member and co-founder of the German “Climate Alliance”, which is a broad coalition of churches, trade unions, environmental and development organisations for climate protection in Germany. In addition, we are a co-founder of “Climate of Justice”, a platform for climate and development promoted by churches, mission agencies and development services.

Education leads to action

Young people form the target group of our educational work on climate justice. The call for climate justice includes questions of justice between South and North, justice in the context of our creation and justice in the context of future generations, as the consequences of climate change are an existential threat to coming generations.

Through interactive methods like games, short films, quizzes and statements by witnesses to climate change, we want to motivate young people to advocate for climate justice and question the values which have shaped their lifestyles and our economy, policy and society up to now.

The Infostelle Klimagerechtigkeit offers:

• Project days and weeks in kindergartens, schools, youth groups and confirmation classes
• Training and seminars for teachers and opinion leaders
• Development and information about educational materials, games and websites
• Lectures for events
• Development of projects that involve the exchange of ideas and information between young people around the world

To reach the broader public, we perform public relations activities and take part in big events like the Kirchentag and Climate Action Day. This year we dressed up as flight attendants and pilots and distributed free flight tickets to “Earth No. 2” in the Hamburg’s shopping mile. Of course the tickets were only one way. Through this satirical activity we wanted to make people aware of the consequences of our consumption and rising CO₂ emissions.

Avoid, reduce, offset!

In 2011 Klima-Kollekte was founded by the Centre for Global Ministries and Ecumenical Relations, Bread for the World – Protestant Development Service, the Evangelical Church in Germany, the Protestant Institute for Interdisciplinary Research and the Episcopal development agency MISEREOR. Klima-Kollekte is a CO₂ compensation fund, which serves as the church’s contribution to existing measures for offsetting emissions. CO₂ emissions are offset by climate protection projects run by church organisations or their partners in developing and Eastern European countries.

Through Klima-Kollekte we want to secure new and stronger participation from organisations, communities and individuals in church-related areas and beyond in their efforts to offset their unavoidable CO₂ emissions. In addition, we want to use the range of services Klima-Kollekte offers to motivate people and institutions to develop their own measures to avoid and reduce their emissions.

For this reason we developed a concept for an advanced training about climate-friendly events. Alongside participants we develop measures to avoid and reduce emissions of small to medium-sized events and meetings. In a second step we calculate the emissions of the respective advanced training, using the emissions calculator of Klima-Kollekte. This enables the participants to compile the CO₂ budgets of their events and meetings and to compare them in the future, so that they can continuously work to improve their CO₂ budgets.

Events and meetings are an important tool for educational work, but their realisation always implies the emission of CO₂. Organising events in a climate-friendly way does not only contribute to climate protection but also serves as a best practice model for participants. Communicating the measures that have been implemented to reduce the emissions of the respective event inspires participants to replicate these ideas. In addition participants can experience, for example, that vegan or vegetarian food does taste good and satisfy, or that venues can be chosen which are easy to reach by public transport.

Minimising damage to our climate

Offsetting CO₂ emissions will not save our climate, but it minimises the damage caused by our actions. It is not relevant where reduction of CO₂ takes place, as global warming is directly linked to the concentration of CO₂ in our atmosphere.

People and institutions make voluntary payments based on the amount of emissions they create. Klima-Kollekte uses these contributions to develop renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in countries where they rarely exist. In this way, Klima-Kollekte saves CO₂ that would otherwise be emitted by burning fossil fuels in these countries.

About 2.5 billion people have no access to modern resources such as electricity. Energy poverty goes hand in hand with material poverty and with poor-quality education and development opportunities. Klima-Kollekte projects can offer incentives to overcome energy poverty without relying on fossil fuel-based energy systems.

To ensure that projects contribute to both emissions reduction and sustainable development, they are selected and implemented in accordance with the Gold Standard, a quality standard for offset projects developed by environmental and development experts. Adhering to such a strict standard when selecting and implementing projects guarantees that they are implemented in addition to other climate protection efforts, they do not have a negative impact on the local environment or development, and they contribute to combating poverty in the respective project area. The Infostelle Klimagerechtigkeit develops offset projects for Klima-Kollekte along with partners from countries in which the Centre for Global Ministries and Ecumenical Relations has its partner churches.

There can be no climate protection without global justice

From a Christian and ethical standpoint climate change is neither willed by God nor is it an unalterable fate. It is the expression of injustice. The transformation from the “fossil” age of an (apparently) unlimited growth to a low-carbon world economy that is socially and environmentally compatible requires a critical analysis of the values which have shaped our lifestyle, economy, policy and society up to now.

The Infostelle Klimagerechtigkeit wants to motivate people to be part of this transformation. Ambitious climate protection is a matter of justice.

People in the South and North should not only follow politics, but be active citizens who advocate for climate justice and get involved in politics by means of demonstration, public activities, lifestyle change and promotion of renewable energy.

www.klimagerechtigkeit.de