As we start the New Year, many of us look back to 2021 and prayerfully plan for 2022. When it comes to the environment, the main global event of 2021 was the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland (31 October to 13 November 2021). What was COP26? Why should Pentecostals care? And what might it mean for our future? These are some of the questions that will be discussed from a British, Ghanaian and Indian perspective.

COP26
The COP26 President, Alok Sharma, remarked that the UN’s major Climate Change Conference has ‘kept 1.5 degrees alive. But, its pulse is weak and it will only survive if we keep our promises and translate commitments into rapid action (COP26-Presidency-Outcomes-The-Climate-Pact.pdf (ukcop26.org)).’ Why is the 1.5°C target so important? Following from the Industrial Revolution, the Earth’s average temperature has risen already by 1.1°C and climate scientists believe that limiting the rise to 1.5°C is crucial if we want to avoid major climate catastrophes (see What is climate change? – Met Office). To keep this target still within our reach, the discussions at COP26 focused on reducing emissions (mitigation), helping those affected by climate change (adaptation), providing financial support for countries to achieve their goals (finance), and increasingly working together to tackle climate change (collaboration).
To this effect, delegates at the conference reaffirmed their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now ‘90% of world GDP and around 90% of global emissions are… covered by net zero commitments’ (COP26-Presidency-Outcomes). This means that these countries have agreed to remove the same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere that they release into it. As promising as this sounds, the current net zero deadlines proposed are not sufficiently ambitious for the global community to meet the 1.5°C threshold. Aware of this fact, delegates at COP26 agreed to revisit their current emission targets to 2030 at this year’s COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (7 to 18 November 2022).
At COP26 there was also an agreement with 190 countries to ‘phase down’ coal power, which is believed to be the biggest single contributor to climate change. Although many were disappointed that the conference adopted the phrase ‘phase down’, rather than ‘phase out’, there is now at least an explicit reference to the need to reduce the use of coal and other fossil fuels.
Another important decision at the summit was when 137 countries pledged to end deforestation by 2030. The pledge made by these countries covers 91% of the world’s forests. Forests are not only vital in removing CO2 from the Earth’s atmosphere, but also in maintaining biodiversity in nature, another major environmental issue of our time.
In 2009 the so-called ‘developed nations’ agreed to provide $100 billion a year from 2020 to 2025 to help ‘developing nations’ reduce their emissions, as well as to adapt to the challenges already caused by climate change. Unfortunately so far this target has not been met by the ‘developed nations’, despite their historical role in being the main emitters of greenhouse gases. At COP26 this, as well as other financial plans, was discussed and the target should now be met by 2023 with a $106 billion contribution in that particular year.

Reflections from the UK (Simo Frestadius)
What should Pentecostals in the UK and Europe make of COP26? Perhaps it goes without saying that historically British and European Pentecostals have not been at the forefront of climate activism. As Pentecostals, our focus has been more on saving souls than trees. That said, as Spirit empowered followers of Christ, it is time for us to take a more active and intentional role in caring for God’s creation – which, by the way, does not mean compromising our evangelistic zeal. There are three good theological reasons for doing so (for further discussion on Pentecostals and the environment see A.J. Swoboda (2013) and the special issue of Australasian Pentecostal Studies 22:1 (2021) dedicated to the topic).
First, there is a clear biblical mandate in Genesis 1-2 to look after God’s creation. As Pentecostals, we have too often misunderstood the dominion mandate of Genesis 1:28: ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens.’ That is, we have assumed that to be created in God’s image means that humans can simply ‘fill’, ‘subdue’ and have ‘dominion’ over the earth without caring for God’s world (this has also been identified as a wider problem particularly among Western Christians; see Lynn White Jr. 1967 and Paul Tyson 2021). However, the dominion mandate of Genesis 1:28 needs to be qualified with Genesis 2:15, where God’s task for humanity is clarified when God commissions Adam to ‘work’ and ‘keep’ the environment in which he is placed. This calling to care and serve is further supported by the teaching and example of the second Adam, namely, Christ. Albeit in a different context, Christ teaches that those who seek to be in places of authority and leadership must ‘serve’ others, rather than ‘lord it over’ them (Mk. 10:42-45). To apply Christ’s leadership principle to humans having dominion over nature means that to rule is to serve and care, not to abuse or domineer.
Second, Pentecostals have always emphasised the centrality of the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) for their theology and spirituality. At Pentecost God’s Spirit was poured out on the people of God. However, as Pentecostals we have not always been so good at appreciating that the Spirit of Pentecost is also the Spirit of Creation. The same Spirit that was ‘hovering over the face of the waters’ (Gen. 1:2) and who together with God’s Word brought creation into being, is the same Spirit that dwells in us. If we are filled with the Spirit that brought order out of chaos and created the world, then it is not hard to argue that this Spirit of Creation also provides the resources and energy for us to fulfil the first commission given to humans; to be stewards of God’s creation. Certainly Pentecostals like other Christians have also been given the Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20), but the Great Commission has not replaced the first commission at creation (Gen. 1:28; 2:15), even if it has illuminated it in light of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.
Third, sometimes we as Pentecostals have not been active in environmental care, because of our particular understanding of the end times and Christ’s return (read: eschatology). That is, some of us have believed that the old creation will be destroyed and annihilated, and therefore there is no point in looking after it. Even if this world was to be completely annihilated – I will discuss below that this is not the best way of understanding biblical eschatology – this still does not cancel out God’s first commission given to humanity. To use an analogy, just because our human bodies will die, does not mean that we should not look after our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). In the same way, even if this Earth may perish in its current form, this is no justification for neglecting the command of God to care for it.
However, there are also specific eschatological reasons to care for God’s creation. Whilst there are some biblical passages that might suggest that the earth will be destroyed with fire (2 Pet. 3:10), the Apostle Paul refers to the current creation ‘groaning’ for it to be ‘set free from its bondage to corruption’ (Rom. 8:21-22). The point is that God’s plan of reconciliation is not just for humans but for all of creation, including the non-human natural realm. This means that as part of the wider biblical narrative, the ‘new heaven’ and ‘new earth’ (Rev. 21:1) should probably be understood as (re)new(ed) heaven and earth. To put it differently, God will make ‘all things new’ (Rev. 21:5) by redeeming and transforming the first creation. This does not mean that there won’t be an element of discontinuity between the old and new creation, but it does mean that there will also be an element of continuity. To return to the analogy of the human body, just like the resurrection body of Christ has an element of discontinuity from his earthly body (e.g. Jesus could go through locked doors [Jn. 20:19-20]), there is also a continuity (e.g. the disciples could still recognise Jesus and touch the scars from his earthly body [Jn. 20:24-27]). In the same way, there will also be a continuity between the old and new creation, which implies that we must not neglect the natural realm, which God deems worthy of transformation.
In light of these brief theological reflections, what should British Pentecostals make of COP26 specifically and climate change more generally? In the end, redemption of the world and the natural environment can only be accomplished by God. That said, as people who (1) have been commissioned to be stewards of God’s creation, (2) are empowered by the Spirit of Creation, and (3) await with longing for the renewed heaven and earth, we should be at the forefront of creation care. One way of doing this is to try to keep the 1.5°C target of COP26 alive. Therefore, as Pentecostal believers, local churches, and national movements, we need to consider our carbon footprints. Interestingly, the UK government has committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 (UK’s path to net zero set out in landmark strategy – GOV.UK [www.gov.uk]). The Church of England is committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2030 (About our environment programme | The Church of England). But as the Elim Pentecostal Church – where I serve as a minister – we have currently not set any targets. As a movement we are starting to have conversations about climate change (see Responding to climate change [elim.org.uk]), but in the words of Alok Sharma we need to move from conversations to ‘commitments’ to keep the 1.5°C target alive. Like the Church of England, we need to set ambitious goals and provide support for individuals, churches, and ministries to be environmentally sustainable. We cannot hold governments accountable on net zero carbon emissions, if we have not first set our own house in order.
As Pentecostals our theology and spirituality demands that we serve God by looking after the created world. Among other things, this means that we take the 1.5°C target of COP26 seriously. To do this, as Pentecostal movements in the UK and throughout Europe, we need to understand that this is a theological issue that demands action from us. It is probably not an overstatement to say that we – and I include myself in the ‘we’ – need to repent from our indifference, neglect, and even abuse of nature. We need to set clear carbon emission targets and help individual believers, churches, and national ministries to minister in a carbon neutral way. In a sense, COP26 does not demand us to do this – although it has helpfully highlighted the current ecological crisis – but our calling as empowered stewards of God’s (re)new(ed) creation should propel us to action.

Reflections from Ghana (Christian Tsekpoe)
Although the devastating effects of climate change on societies is a global concern, the situation in developing countries seems to be more frightening. This is because there seems to be a lack of appreciation of the nature of the problem at hand by citizens of these developing nations. In Ghana for example, non-renewable natural resources continue to be depleted rapidly through illegal mining, environmental pollution, deforestation, and increased use of fossil fuel. Some scholars suggest that a major contributing factor to this indiscipline in Ghana as in other African countries emanates from the dominion theology embraced by African Pentecostal-Charismatic Christians. This theology which takes its root from the American prosperity gospel tends to reduce nature to human utility. To be prosperous and successful by the standards of this teaching, one needs to subdue (exploit) the earth for personal advantage (Emmanuel Amin 2019).
Contrary to this generalisation, it is becoming obvious in Ghana that some Pentecostal Churches such as the Church of Pentecost, are beginning to lead a national campaign against activities that degrade the environment. In her five-year vision document named ‘Vision 2023’ (the vision of Church of Pentecost from 2018-2023), the Church of Pentecost indicates her plans to teach the importance of sanitation as part of its Sunday morning Bible Studies lessons to all its members. Further, the Church of Pentecost shows her commitment to put up eco-friendly church buildings to enhance balanced growth. Practically, in December 2018 and January 2019, the Church of Pentecost launched a nationwide environmental care campaign in Ghana in collaboration with the largest sanitation company in the country (Zoomlion Ghana Ltd) and the chiefs and opinion leaders of the various communities. The intention was to educate the citizens and to clean communities. Statistically, the Church of Pentecost claims a membership of 2,973,830 making up 9.8% of the Ghanaian population as at December 2019, having congregations in almost all urban and rural communities in Ghana (The Church of Pentecost Statistics 2021). Such efforts are therefore far reaching in terms of creating awareness and education. In May, June and July 2021, the Church of Pentecost in collaboration with the Forestry Commission of Ghana launched a tree planting project aimed at planting one million trees across the country in two months. The seedlings were supplied by the Forestry Commission and the tree planting was done by the Church of Pentecost and an evaluation exercise is currently ongoing to determine how many trees were actually planted and how many have survived. These efforts of the Church of Pentecost are based on the Church’s biblical understanding of human stewardship of natural resources to which each servant will give an account to how the resources entrusted to them were used and eventually multiplied, rather than dominion theology’s tendency to exploit natural resources for personal advantage (Gen. 1:26-31; Matt. 25:14-30).
These notwithstanding, it must be appreciated that the challenge is bigger than just education, street cleaning, and tree planting. There is the need for a complete change of attitude by Ghanaians to a lifestyle of conscious effort by all citizens to preserve the climate. Secondly, the poverty situation in Ghana makes it difficult to mitigate the challenge since some citizens are virtually surviving on the exploitation of the environment based on illegal mining and depletion of forest resources making the crisis bend towards a vicious cycle. It must further be appreciated that in Ghana, as in the case of other developing countries, there is a general lack of technological equipment and knowhow required to invest into renewable energy to replace fossil fuel. It should however, be noted that as has been shown in the efforts of Ghana’s Church of Pentecost, the Church in Africa can use its growing numerical strength to collaborate with other stake holders within and outside the country to work towards achieving zero emission in line with global predictions.

Reflections from India (Peter Jayaraj)
India, being the world’s fourth biggest emitter of CO2, has declared in the recent COP26 talks that it would achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 and reduce one billion tonnes of carbon emission by 2030 (COP26: India will reach net zero emissions by 2070, says PM Modi | Business Standard News (business-standard.com)). Though this seems to be a good objective, studies shows that India’s rich emit seven times more carbon than the poor (In India, the rich cause seven times more emissions than the poor (scroll.in)). India is a developing country, which has many pro-poor developments in the pipeline. These developments, if carried out, would surely raise the standard of living of the people but in addition, will also result in increase of carbon emission unless the country invests in renewable energy and takes necessary steps to reduce carbon consumption.
Regarding religion, most Indians view nature as sacred but the responsibility of taking care of nature and preserving it, is not deeply rooted in the people. There has always been a struggle between maintaining the sacredness of the nature and a compulsion to exploit the resources due to poverty and need for development (Sonya Sachdeva 2016). Due to rapid industrialisation, we see severe deforestation. Statistics reveals that in the last 30 years India has lost large areas of forest to 23,716 industrial projects (Large Forest Cover Lost to 23,716 Industrial Projects in India (thequint.com)).
Among Christians, imbalanced theological views like giving more importance to saving souls, going to heaven, living as strangers in this world, etc. keep Christians away from involving themselves in taking care of nature and being faithful stewards of the God-given resources. Also distorted theological views, such as, ‘prosperity gospel’ have made Christians, especially the younger generation, more selfish, self-centred and short-sighted. However, in recent years there has been conscious effort by Christians who have understood the creation mandate and holistic gospel of Jesus towards preserving the nature and redeeming it. Christian organizations like Tarumitra (Friends of Trees), Greenline, ecological network of Jesuits have also been doing commendable work in afforestation (Can religion fight climate change? (livemint.com)). We need dynamic Christians who push forward for radical change in the theological understanding of the holistic gospel. The way forward for Indian churches would be to teach the holistic gospel to people, especially the younger generation, so that people’s minds would be open to understanding the greater perspective of preserving and protecting the nature and taking up responsibility in reducing carbon emissions.

Further Reading
Anim, Emmanuel. 2019. ‘Environmental Sustainability and Eco-Justice: Reflections from an African Pentecostal.’ In Kairos for Creation: Confessing Hope for the Earth, edited by Louk Andrianos, Michael Biehl, Ruth Gütter, Jochen Motte, Andar Parlindungan, Thomas Sandner, Juliane Stork, and Dietrich Werner, 107-119. Solingen: Foedus Verlag.
Australasian Pentecostal Studies 22:1 (2021) – Special journal issue on Pentecostalism and the environment, edited by Jacqueline N. Grey.
Sachdeva, Sonya. 2016. ‘Religious Identity, Beliefs, and Views about Climate Change.’ Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Climate Science. Retrieved 1 Jan. 2022, from https://oxfordre.com/climatescience/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228620-e-335.

Swoboda, A.J. 2013. Tongues and Trees: Toward a Pentecostal Ecological Theology. Blandford Forum: Deo Publishing.
Tyson, Paul. 2021. Theology and Climate Change. Abingdon: Routledge.
White, Lynn, Jr. 1967. ‘The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis.’ Science 155, No. 3767 (March 10, 1967): 1203-1207.

‘Groaning with creation’: Global Pentecostal reflections on creation care and COP26
Institute for Pentecostal Theology, West Malvern, UK
Simo Frestadius (UK), Christian Tsekpoe (Ghana), and Peter Jayaraj (India)