The Woolf Institute, in collaboration with the Muslim World League, hosted a Sustainability and Climate Change Panel during the Encounter Workshop at the University of Cambridge. This event convened distinguished leaders and scholars to explore the intersection between faith and climate action.

Panel participants included Revd Dr Stephen Cherry, Dean of King’s College; Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence; Amir J. Ohadi, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee at the Barnet Multi Faith Forum; and Dr Tobias Müller, Lecturer at Cambridge’s Department of Politics and International Studies. Discussions focused on pivotal topics such as reform versus systemic change, scientific versus religious approaches, grassroots versus top-down strategies, and the role of ethical frameworks in driving climate action.

Amir Ohadi underscored the significance of Pope Francis’s recent encyclical, Laudate Deum, released in October 2023 ahead of COP28. This influential document articulates key insights on the climate crisis from both spiritual and scientific perspectives, advocating for cultural and personal transformations to address global environmental challenges effectively.

The panel explored how religious perspectives can offer valuable insights into climate change mitigation and emission reduction. They highlighted the potential of faith-inspired messaging to bring optimism, catalyze change, and promote moral responsibility in climate debates.

Additionally, the discussion addressed the Faith Partnership initiative with the Barnet local government, aimed at achieving BarNET Zero by 2042. The initiative underscores the importance of inclusive local partnerships in implementing actionable solutions tailored to community needs.

The event concluded with a significant dialogue at Westminster College with Sheikh Dr Mohammed Al-Issa, head of the World Muslim League and organizer of the Charter of Mecca. This charter advocates for moderate Islam and addresses global environmental concerns, advocating for pollution reduction and global commitment to climate treaties.

Prepared by Barnet Multi Faith Forum, Environment and Sustainability Sub-Group

Caring for people and planet and Commitment to net Zero emission (not adding emissions to the environment directly and indirectly) presents an opportunity to embrace more sustainable practices, cultivating a greener and healthier environment. Let’s remember our accountability as stewards of the planet and make impactful changes by taking small steps that significantly contribute to our collective journey towards long-term sustainability goals and a brighter future for all.

1- Reduce Plastic Use:

• Remember to bring your own bags when shopping to minimize the need for plastic bags.
• Consider switching to plastic-free alternatives such as soap bars and refillable containers for your toiletries.
• Choose foods that have minimal packaging to reduce plastic waste.
• Instead of using plastic cutlery, bring your own reusable cups, bottles, plates, and utensils for any gatherings.
• Encourage sustainability among children by rewarding them for participating in these practices with non-plastic, recyclable toys and books.

2- Reduce Food Waste:

• Adjust your fridge temperature to between 0-5°C to extend the freshness of food.
• Embrace creativity with leftovers—freeze them or share with those in need.
• Donate unwanted food to food banks or utilize apps like OLIO or Too Good To Go to minimize waste effectively.
• Shop with a plan in mind, paying close attention to the use-by dates of fresh food.
• Maintain your fridge; clean and use clear storage containers for easy visibility of contents, reducing the chance of food being forgotten.
• Consider going meat-free occasionally, to lessen environmental impact.

3- Compost & Recycle:

• Start composting organic waste in your garden to decrease the amount of waste sent to landfills. Please see how easy to compost with a wormery!
• Boost your recycling efforts and inquire about local services for food waste collection.
• If you have access to any type of dry biomass, including greenfield waste and waste materials, consider producing biochar or providing them to nearby biochar production facilities.
• Please place any leaves that fall onto your frontage, driveway, or garden in your green garden waste bin if you’re signed up for the service. Or turn fallen leaves into leaf mould to enrich your garden soil naturally.

4- Eco-Friendly Home & Gifts:

• Use sustainable materials for decorations.
• Create handmade gifts and cards and use minimal wrapping.
• Select suppliers committed to eco-friendly practices.
• Utilize wood specially in construction as it effectively stores carbon within buildings and other infrastructure.

5- Sustainability Personal Decisions:

• Reduce air travel as much as possible and explore alternative modes of transportation to minimize your carbon footprint.
• Review your finances and make responsible decisions with your money, business, and investments to ensure the sustainability and social impact of your finances.
• Hold onto your smartphone; resist buying new ones just to follow new trends.
• Contribute to charity by calculating your business’s carbon footprint and purchasing voluntary greenhouse gas removal credits to offset emissions. Please be mindful of including scope 3 emissions in your calculations, which refer to the emissions a company is responsible for beyond its own operations.

Please remember that these are suggestions, and you are not expected to implement all of them. However, taking every step where possible can make a significant difference.

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Methane emissions are four times more sensitive to climate change than the world’s top scientists had estimated as recently as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) report in February. According to Nottingham Trent University Singapore’s Simon Redfern, the professor of Earth sciences behind this new research, the atmosphere is changing as the world heats up.

Read extracts from report and interesting observations

Monday 14th June saw the successful launch of the first Environmental Conference by the BMFF Environmental Sub-group, and it was a great success. A series of interviews and presentations highlighted local Barnet issues and projects. It was a captivating and enjoyable evening promoting the essential work that is developing in this critical area.

The conference took place on Zoom and we recorded it. You can watch the full event here: