Lesa Scholl
23 September 2025
Australian Christians are being asked to see care for Creation as their original vocation to reduce future impacts of climate change such as catastrophic storms and floods.
It comes as the first National Climate Risk Assessment report predicted an increase in heat-related deaths, and that more than half a million people would face higher flooding risks within five years.
Environmental groups including the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change fear the federal government’s target of reducing emissions by 62 to 70 per cent by 2050 will fail to keep global warming to 1.5°.
Common Grace Creation and Climate Justice coordinator Jane Kelly said it was not just a matter of the world being a little warmer, but that there would be severe economic and social effects.
Ms Kelly was hopeful the Church would step into the space of caring not just for one another as humans, but for one another as all a part of creation.
“[It’s] taking up that real vocation …our first vocation, that God said, to care for creation,” she said.
Read more: Faith leaders urge bolder deal for fragile communities at COP29
Brisbane Anglican archbishop Jeremy Greaves was disappointed by what he saw as the lack of courage and ambition on the part of the government.
“Given the current government’s electoral mandate, they might have a greater courage,” he said.
Bishop Greaves said because of Australia’s relative wealth and abundance of access to solar, wind and other clean energy solutions, the nation was in a position to lead in this space.
“We come back to that core at the heart of the faith, to be good stewards of God’s abundance,” he said.
He said all individuals could do things to reduce their energy footprint, but it was also incumbent on everyone to raise their voices.
He noted it was the people in the Pacific islands and developing nations who would be affected the most.
The risk assessment was released within days of the 54th Pacific Islands forum and in the wake of Australia’s bid to partner with the Pacific islands to host the United Nations Conference of the Parties 31 in 2026.
Clarification: the UN COP31 will be taking place in 2026 and not 2027 as originally stated. This article was updated on 29 September to reflect this.
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