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The WCC’s project “Legal Action for Intergenerational Justice,” anchored in the Churches' Commitments to Children programme, focuses on holding financial institutions accountable for their role in climate change. This initiative aims to mobilize and build the capacity of churches and partners to utilize the law as a tool for intergenerational climate justice.
”Over 70 young people from churches and our partner organizations worldwide provided valuable feedback for the upcoming handbook on legal action,” said Frederique Seidel, WCC Children and Climate programme executive. “Young people are the ones who will be most affected by decisions which allow further increase of CO2 emissions. Youth’s perspectives, ideas, and suggestions are therefore crucial for the acceleration of climate solutions.”
The project’s main focus is on the financial system, specifically carbon bombs because these play a crucial yet often overlooked role in the climate crisis. Banks, pension funds, and insurances channel client cash into fossil fuel financing, undermining the sustainability efforts of climate justice.
“By concentrating on financial actors, we can uncover a powerful lever for change, which brings tangible hope for children’s futures,” says Seidel. “The choices we make about where and how we bank can be impactful tools in our collective effort to combat climate change, transforming financial practices into a catalyst for a sustainable future.”
The climate emergency is a justice issue that disproportionately affects the most vulnerable among us. As young people face this reality, it becomes crucial for them to take action and support faith leaders in demanding accountability from those who continue financing root causes of global warming—specifically, financial actors.
