International Climate Report is Dedicated to an Evangelical Christian
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the sixth assessment report (AR6) in August, bringing forward the latest understanding of and advances in climate change, system, and science, and pronouncing the state of our climate as “code red” for humanity. Out of the many thousands of assessment contributors who have volunteered their time and expertise over the years, one was notably honored. The IPCC dedicated this recent AR6 report to Sir John Houghton, a devout Evangelical Christian.
Sir John Houghton was also a Welsh Nobel Prize Winner and a key figure in the creation of the IPCC’s first, second, and third assessments. This may surprise some, but his deeply held Evangelical Christian faith anchored his work and fueled his decades-long commitment to solving the climate emergency.
A recent article in Christianity Today highlights Sir John’s deeply held faith values. He believed that he and all Christians have a “God-given responsibility” to look after the earth and that not doing so was a sin.
“His concerns about greenhouse gases, rising temperature averages, dying coral reefs, blistering heat waves, and increasingly extreme weather were informed by his training as an atmospheric physicist and his commitment to science. They also come out of his evangelical understanding of God, the biblical accounts of humanity’s relationship to creation, and what it means for a Christian to follow Christ.”
Sir John lived this conviction by connecting the environment, science, and religion as President of the John Ray Initiative and by helping found the International Society for Science and Religion. He also embraced his role as a communicator and bridge builder, helping to engage other Evangelical Christian leaders on climate change including Richard Cizik, John Stott, and Rick Warren.
And, when some of his colleagues would despair that progress wasn’t happening fast enough, Sir John would draw on his faith for hope.
“He believed the goodness of the Lord will be seen in the land of the living, and that sustained him,” his granddaughter, Hannah Malcolm, recalls in the article.
Houghton, who died of complications related to COVID-19 in 2020 at the age of 88, unfortunately, “didn’t live to see the release of the sixth IPCC report or to promote it to evangelical Christians. But the scientific assessment dedicated to his memory echoes a core theme of Houghton’s life’s work: Now is the time to turn from the path of destruction.”
Now IS the time and Blessed Tomorrow is here to help. Download our free tools and resources to support your work to address climate change and advocate for solutions. You can also become a Blessed Tomorrow Climate Ambassador through our new online training program. Learn how climate change impacts ministry, find out how solutions connect with our faith values, build confidence in being a communicator and advocate in your faith and local communities, and connect with other faith leaders who share your passion, right where you are and at your own pace.
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