29 October 2015: In a statement released by the Global Buddhist Climate Change Collective, Buddhist leaders – including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh – have called on world leaders to reach “an ambitious and effective climate agreement” at the Paris Climate Change Conference. The ‘Buddhist Climate Change Statement to World Leaders’ urges humanity to act on the root causes of climate change, which they write is driven by fossil fuel use, unsustainable consumption patterns, lack of awareness and lack of concern about the consequences of our actions.

The statement is based on the understanding that all things in the universe are interconnected, and the consequences of our actions “are critical steps in reducing our environmental impact.”

The 15 signatories from throughout Asia as well as France and the US urge world leaders to: close the emissions gap and ensure that global temperature rise remains below 1.5°C; and scale up climate finance above the US$100 billion agreed in Copenhagen in 2009 to help vulnerable developing countries prepare for climate impacts and transition toward a low-carbon economy.

The statement also calls for phasing out fossil fuels, and moving toward 100% renewable and clean energy. It describes actions that individuals can take, including protecting forests, moving toward a plant-based diet, reducing consumption, recycling, switching to renewables, flying less and using public transport.

The Buddhist leaders express support for the climate change statements issued recently by leaders of other religious faiths, including Pope Francis’ encyclical, the Islamic Declaration on Climate Change, and the upcoming ‘Hindu Declaration on Climate Change.’ [Buddhist Climate Change Statement to World Leaders]