Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari Educationalist, author & parenting consultant
Introduction

Our world has been through a multitude of mega-crises in recent times. The COVID-19 pandemic has brutally exposed inequality in the world; besides this, a possible ‘hot’ war in Europe is also threatening our fragile global peace. All this may derail our collective fight against an unceasing climate calamity.

The passionate, often acrimonious, but constructive discussions and debate at the UN’s Climate Change Conference, COP26, in Glasgow in November 2021, lost momentum within a few months.

Although COP27 in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh in 2022 took the historic step of agreeing to set up a “loss and damage” fund to help vulnerable countries cope with climate disasters, it also dismally failed to phase out fossil fuels. Rich nations do not seem to be fully prepared to move beyond their rhetoric.

Despite the challenges, we as citizens must play proactive roles as agents of change to keep our planet green. Ultimately, we are the stewards of our planet. Using people’s power, we could influence our leaders to act and reorient our attitudes, habits, lifestyles, and acts to save our planet.

A global peril needs global leadership

Human behaviour has been the primary driver of the increased temperatures that are warming up the land, atmosphere, and oceans

This is causing the shrinking of ice sheets, raising sea levels, and causing extreme weather events. According to a 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, climate change is widespread, rapidly intensifying, and driving extreme climate events across the world. According to scientists, global warming must be limited to 1.5°C by 2100 if the planet is to remain habitable for future generations.

The record summer heatwave in Europe in 2022 and the floods in south Asia have had unprecedented impacts on people’s lives and the economies of the affected countries. Several temperature records were broken in Europe. On the Pakistan floods, UN Secretary General Guterres made a video appeal, saying, “Let’s stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change.”

Much of the blame falls on the G20 group, which accounts for 80% of global emissions, with the large developed countries bearing the brunt of the blame. It is past time for major polluters to show leadership by following through on their promises to drastically reduce their own emissions and incentivise developing countries to do the same.
Climate change has already left its mark on the earth’s delicately balanced ecosystems among a variety of species on land, in freshwater systems, and the ocean.

Disaster displacement is also one of the most devastating consequences. “Refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and the stateless are on the frontlines of the climate emergency,” says the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.

The lack of statesmanship of political leaders and the inept moral leadership of lobby groups from the most privileged nations of the West have been the major barriers. With just 12 per cent of the global population, they are responsible for 50 per cent of the greenhouse gases released over the past 170 years. A staggering $423 billion of taxpayers’ money is still being used to subsidise fossil fuels each year!
If developed countries that have the ability and technology to research and implement alternative or renewable energy sources do not come forward with investments in greener technology, the 1.5°C goal cannot be achieved.

Religions on environmental stewardship

All major religions have messages and teachings about protecting the environment. Many adherents of mainstream religions, particularly the Abrahamic ones, are active in thwarting the climate crisis. A 2010 Pew Research Centre survey of US adults found 81%, including adherents of mainstream religions, favour “stronger laws and regulations to protect the environment.”

Islam stands out on this front with its consistency and practical steps. It teaches believers to respect, nurture, and care for the environment, and each Muslim is accountable for the upkeep of planet Earth. Many Muslim organisations, mosques, and individuals have been working diligently to alert believers and others to this crucial issue. No wonder the “Go Green” campaign has gained momentum among Muslims.

Role of ordinary citizens, experts, and celebrities

Every citizen bears a tremendous responsibility for reducing pollution and waste. But this should be through joined-up efforts with consistent eco-friendly acts, such as raising climate change issues with policymakers, politicians, and businesses on the one hand, and making changes in personal habits at home or work, with diets, energy use, water consumption, or transport choices on the other.

Conscious individuals can improve their local and wider communities by planting trees or plants where they can, going paperless where possible, recycling and buying recycled products, and raising awareness amongst people around them.

In Britain, Imperial College, with the help of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, came up with some simple and achievable practical ways for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint, such as protecting green spaces or facilitating recycling; cutting down on meat consumption, particularly red meat; sustainable fishing; reducing plastic use; reducing flying; investing with an ethical and environmental consideration; choosing eco-friendly brands and avoiding single-use items, etc.

Conclusion

If sustainable development is to have any meaning for the poor majority of the world, the rich and super-rich sections of humanity and their political allies must come to their senses and act sooner rather than later to reduce the harmful impact on the earth’s natural systems. Simultaneously, we the people must act together to leave behind a liveable earth for future generations.

People of faith should be at the forefront of this environmental jihad. We need a ‘War on Climate Change’ to reduce our carbon footprint in our homes, institutions, and offices.

We need a passionate effort to reduce, reuse, and recycle in our everyday lives. Ours is the only planet in the known universe with a climate compatible with sustaining human life. We cannot callously continue to inflict irreparable damage on it. This world, with all its beauty and variety, is a gift and a trust from God to us. Let us not squander it.

“Even if the Resurrection were established upon one of you while he has in his hand a sapling (a young tree), let him plant it.” (Musnad Ahmad)

(Photo credit: Iván Tamás from Pixabay)

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari’s eBook, Saving Our Planet: How Citizens Can Thwart a Climate Calamity,is available on Amazon.