A #FaithClimateJusticeVoter in 2021 and Beyond

Even though the Nov. 3 election has come and gone, our commitment to engage in the public arena as #faithclimatejusticevoters is as strong as ever.

This commitment motivated our vote in the recent election, not only on matters related directly to protecting the environment and addressing climate change but also on other justice-related issues connected to climate policy.

“As people of faith across the country, we believe the 2020 election is a referendum on the values that will shape our future,” said the Democracy, Values & the 2020 Election guide released by Interfaith Power & Light and Faith in Public Life earlier this year.  “How can we renew our fragile democracy? How do we honor the human dignity of every person? Will we protect God’s creation for future generations? What policies will prioritize the common good and confront global pandemics that remind us of our interdependence? These questions require a societal examination of conscience.”

Some polls show the public sentiment leading into the election favored actions to reverse climate change and protect our earth. Here is a summary of an public opinion survey released by IPL in October.

IPL and our partners released a new poll that finds American voters of faith, including evangelical and mainline Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and religiously unaffiliated voters, overwhelmingly believe climate change is happening and are worried about it. The poll from Climate Nexus, Yale University Program on Climate Change Communication, and George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication also finds more than seven in 10 (72%) voters support increasing federal funding to protect vulnerable communities from the impacts of extreme weather as part of the COVID-19 recovery.   Read full article

Another poll conducted by the respected Pew Research Center  offered a similar result.

So as we look forward to elections in 2021 and beyond,  we reaffirm our commitment to remain #faithclimatejusticevoters