Climate change is already devastating communities and habitats around the world and will only get worse without global action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Our commitment to the health and well-being of the earth is based on the conviction that there is that of God in all of creation, not just the earth’s human inhabitants.
FCNL recognizes that developed countries, like the U.S., are major contributors to greenhouse gas pollution and bear a responsibility for addressing its consequences. The climate crisis has no boundaries and must be treated as a truly global crisis requiring global solutions. We believe that our moral obligation to address this challenge and protect vulnerable communities transcend partisanship.
Conflict-vulnerable and climate-sensitive communities overwhelmingly exist in Global South countries short on the financial resources and technological capabilities needed for resilient and preventive responses. Recognizing this, developing nations like the United States have come together and committed funding to support the Global South respond to the climate crisis.
Through the annual appropriations process, Congress funds the U.S. government’s international commitments to assist developing countries shift to a clean energy future. This funding is called international climate assistance, and it bridges that gap between what the United States needs to do globally and what developing countries can afford to do on their own.
Most Americans believe that Congress is doing too little to address climate change globally. The federal government must be responsive to that concern.
Directly-impacted communities, grassroots activists, and national security, environmental, science, and religious leaders are working to foster a bipartisan and cooperative spirit in Congress to fully fund these commitments. By supporting collaboration across the aisle, FCNL is paving the way for meaningful legislative solutions to gain lasting bipartisan support and become law.
FCNL calls on international climate assistance to be:
- Conflict-sensitive: Building peace and confronting the climate challenge are two sides of the same coin. International climate assistance should always seek to do no harm and seize opportunities to strengthen peace.
- Gender-responsive: Assistance should recognize and address the different impacts of climate change on women and men, ensuring that women and girls have equal access to resources, decision-making processes, and opportunities in climate-related initiatives.
- Locally-led: Long-term effectiveness of climate assistance hinges on leadership and support from local, directly-impacted communities. By co-creating international climate assistance projects with communities, we ensure long-term success.
Climate change intersects with many global challenges we face today, including food security, peacebuilding, global justice, and protecting vital ecosystems. Learn more about how climate change interacts with these issues.
Together, we are working with Congress to create a safer, more prosperous world we seek and address the climate challenge.
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