Humans are the cause of the climate crisis we are currently experiencing, said Reverend Tuhoni Telaumbanua, Deputy Chairman 1 of the Association of Theological Schools in Indonesia (PERSETIA) in a discussion on Religion and Climate Justice organized by GreenFaith Indonesia, March 9, 2024.

“In Christian teachings, humanity’s task is to create an atmosphere of peace, harmony, and climate justice, and to respond to the current situation with an ecological economy and internalize an environmentally friendly lifestyle,” Pastor Tuhoni continued.

But according to Roy Murtadho, a teacher at the Misykat al Anwar Ecology Islamic Boarding School, the climate crisis cannot be solved solely by individuals. “Using tumblers is important, but boldly correcting policies is even more crucial. We demand the right of all children to have direct access to clean water, and water should not be traded. In Islam, there is a hadith that states that water must be sovereign,” Roy said.

What’s happening now, he believes, is the liberalization of natural resources for the benefit of a select few. “Everyone must work together, regardless of whether they’re Muslim or Christian. We must firmly criticize them, so they can be more pro-poor and pro-environment, for social justice and environmental sustainability,” Roy concluded.

In the discussion which also presented Catholic religious figures, namely Father Martinus Dam Febrianto SJ. Catholic Priest from the Order of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit), National Director of JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service) Indonesia, Buddhism was represented by Edi Ramawijaya Putra, Deputy Head of Academic Affairs and Institutional Development, State Buddhist College, Tangerang. The Hindu perspective was presented by KRHT P Astono Chandra Dana, Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) while the Confucian perspective was presented by Aldi Destian Satya, Secretary General of the National Executive Board of the Indonesian Confucian Youth and the Belief Perspective was presented by Endang Retno Lastani, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Indonesian Beliefs.

This discussion concluded that the climate crisis is a shared responsibility. No religion condones its followers’ excessive exploitation of natural resources, harming others. Rather, religion teaches that humans are God’s partners in caring for the Earth and its balance as humanity’s shared home.

This discussion activity, which presents a religious perspective on the climate crisis issue, is regularly held by GreenFaith Indonesia, which believes that caring for the earth is part of worship.

GreenFaith Indonesia is a network of GreenFaith International whose mission is to build a multi-faith environmental and climate movement throughout the world, including Indonesia, with a vision of building resilient and caring communities and economies that meet the needs of all people and protect the planet.

In Indonesia, one of GreenFaith Indonesia’s initiatives is to raise awareness and education about the environment, based on diverse multi-faith teachings. GreenFaith Indonesia’s learning spaces are aimed at taking action to address climate change and supporting Indonesia’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.