Climate crisis as a wake-up call: regional bishop calls for real change!

Climate crisis as a wake-up call: regional bishop calls for real change!

The discussion about the energy transition and climate protection is becoming increasingly louder in Germany. Kristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt, the regional bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany, raises her voice in an urgent appeal against the positions of Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU). Kühnbaum-Schmidt criticized their statements on the energy transition and made it clear that the demand for affordability and security of supply should not serve as an excuse for failing to meet climate goals. These concerns cannot be pursued at the expense of the environment and the climate, as evangelisch.de reports.

In a lecture given as part of the conference “Climate Theology between Spirituality, Church, Science and Activism” at the research center of the Evangelical Study Community, Kühnbaum-Schmidt presented the climate crisis as a wake-up call. She called for a stronger theological and practical examination of the challenges that climate change brings with it. The regional bishop pointed out that the churches should not only be part of the problem, but should also actively participate in the solution. Close cooperation and new collaborations are essential for this, as nordkirche.de describes.

Social justice in focus

A central topic of the discussion is the question of climate justice. Socially disadvantaged groups and indigenous peoples, who have contributed the least to climate change, are often the most affected. While developed countries bear the main responsibility for increasing climate-damaging gases, they must also support the global south to cope with the consequences of climate change. These views are rooted in the concept of “climate justice,” which addresses the inequalities in the context of climate change, as bne-portal.de explains.

The churches can play a crucial role here by not only engaging in a theoretical framework, but also actively entering into social alliances and forming partnerships for climate protection. According to Kühnbaum-Schmidt, the church should focus on four areas of change: cooperation and networking, spiritual places, civic engagement and more intensive theological reflection. These aspects are essential to effectively establish the church as a positive force in the climate crisis.

Requirements for politics

Federal Minister Reiche's statements that the energy transition is at a crossroads and that it must focus primarily on economic considerations alarmed Kühnbaum-Schmidt. She fears that the urgency of taking action against the climate crisis will be lost in the political discussion. She sees the climate crisis as a wake-up call that cannot be ignored. It is therefore extremely important that politics and society work together on viable solutions.

The demand for a fair distribution of the opportunities that accompany the transformation to a low-carbon economy remains not only a moral but also a necessary challenge for everyone. At a time when the climate crisis and social justice must go hand in hand, it is crucial that both politics and the church take responsibility and work together.