As the lead bishop on environment for the Church of England, Bishop Graham writes:
“With war in Europe, hunger and cold at home, and extreme weather events displacing whole communities around the world, my prayer in the coming days is that our determination for momentous and positive change at the two week summit in Sharm El-Sheikh is not diminished but redoubled.
“As the UK Government passes the COP Presidency to Egypt, I am grateful to Alok Sharma for his serious, passionate and ambitious leadership over the last year.
“This COP urgently needs to build on his achievements at COP26 in Glasgow last year.
“In Glasgow many promises where made. In Sharm El-Sheikh those promises must be translated into transparent and ambitious realities.
“My prayer is that we listen to the science, and to people of all ages, genders and ethnicities – to the indigenous and to the most climate vulnerable around the world. There are prophets in our midst if only we would hear their cry and then choose a path that future generations will look back on with thanksgiving.
The tipping points we are reaching will lead to more human misery, more migration, more conflict, and devastating impacts on biodiversity.
“And, at a time of concerns about fuel supply, it is imperative that the world has a clean energy revolution so that supplies can be secured and the planet safeguarded.
“This COP, held on African soil, must be good news for the economically poorest of Africa and the rest of the world. Climate change knows no international borders and we keep seeing extreme weather events all around the world – but the poorest are least able to adapt and become resilient.
“So my final prayer is that serious action will be taken on loss and damage, the mechanism to provide new and fair finance, as this needs urgent resolution if trust is to be maintained with developing and climate vulnerable nations.
“We are running out of time. What does the Lord require of us? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with the Lord . We need to act together – right now – for the common good of all life that shares our one planet home.”
You can follow Bishop Graham’s daily prayer for COP27 on his Twitter channel, or see it shared daily on our Diocese of Norwich Facebook and Twitter channels. Alternatively, you can download the full set here.
Other prayer resources for COP27
The Diocese of Leeds has created a daily act of prayer to which you can subscribe, which includes a scriptural reflection, theme for the day and pointers to action and hope. Additionally, a daily prayer resource for services is available. Follow this link to subscribe.
You can follow the daily prayer guide on the Green Christian website here.
Two more prayers are available on the Climate Intercessors website here.
Bishop Graham reminds us: Responding to the climate and biodiversity emergencies is not an optional interest for the ministry of the Church, it is an imperative for the mission of God’s Church.
