What your campaigning has achieved in 2021
We started 2021 by calling it ‘the biggest opportunity we’ve ever had to influence climate ambition’, with the UK hosting COP26. As we approach the end of the year, we’re looking back and giving thanks for the many thousands, including you, who put their faith into action to show love for our global neighbours.
Thank you so much for praying, speaking up and taking action. We’ve seen, over and over again, that when we raise our voices together, decision-makers move and situations change for people in poverty.
Just this week we delivered our giant Christmas card to Boris Johnson to call on the UK Government to keep the climate promises made at COP26. The card was filled with more than 50,000 signatures, many from Tearfund campaigners. If you added your name, thanks!
With that, we’re wrapping up
Reboot. In our latest blog, Sarah, who leads our climate campaigning, reflects on all that’s happened through the various stages of this special campaign.
Here are some of our other campaigning highlights:
People power
-
In the lead-up to the G7 summit in June, thousands joined the Wave of Hope, putting homemade ‘hands’ in their windows and signing the petition to call for a better future.
-
After we’d spent years campaigning on the issue, the UK Government finally stopped funding fossil fuels overseas in March. This was a big campaign win – it even won an award!
-
More than 18,000 people joined us in signing The Climate Coalition’s Declaration for a greener, fairer future. In total, more than 100,000 signatures from different organisations were handed in.
COP26
The main focus of our prayer and action this year was the much-anticipated UN climate summit
COP26 in Glasgow this November.
-
On the COP26 Day of Action, we joined hundreds of thousands of people at marches in Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, London and many other locations across the UK to urge world leaders to take urgent action on the climate crisis.
-
More than 1,400 churches registered to host a COP26 Church Service, joining in prayer and worship for climate justice.
-
As part of the global movement Renew Our World, it was a joy to partner with activists from around the world at COP26. They shared powerful stories and calls for action directly to world leaders.
-
Young people raised their voices in the Take A Stand campaign run by Tearfund’s Youth team, delivering thousands of petition signatures and engaging MPs and churches to take action on the climate. We also supported YCCN in their inspiring relay from Cornwall to Glasgow.
-
There were new pledges by countries and institutions, including agreements to reverse deforestation and put an end to funding fossil fuels overseas. Overall, we saw some progress at COP26, but it’s still far from justice.
Equipping the movement
-
Churches, community groups and individuals used our Reboot resources to keep the conversation about climate action going.
-
We launched the Climate Emergency Toolkit, a route map for churches and organisations to go deeper into climate action. Almost 4,000 people have signed up, and more than 75 churches have already declared a climate emergency. We’re looking forward to releasing an updated version in 2022.
-
Together with Youthscape, we published Burning down the house – research showing that young people in the UK see climate action as fundamental to their faith.
-
We continue to pray for the climate together with weekly SMS prayer points, with more than 1,800 people signed up.
Don’t forget the rubbish
Although we may not have shared much about it recently, we’re continuing to lobby and hold companies to account in our ongoing
Rubbish Campaign.
-
In October, we featured in BBC One’s Panorama programme to share about Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution.
-
We've been working with companies and waste-picker representatives to put steps in place to ensure that big brands respect the human rights of the millions of informal workers who collect their plastic waste.
If you made it this far, well done! May God bless you and your loved ones this Christmas. Thanks for campaigning with us this year, and we hope you’ll continue to join us in prayer and action in 2022.Every blessing,
Kiran Rai
Tearfund Action
Posted: January 2022