Washington, D.C. – Today the National Council of Churches, along with a coalition of 39 other religious organizations, submitted an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief in support of the Clean Power Plan, the first-ever federal standards on carbon pollution from power plants.
In the brief, the groups identify climate change as a pressing issue that must be addressed by believers of all faiths and outline the moral obligation around reducing carbon pollution and protecting the most vulnerable from the dangerous consequences of climate change.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is currently reviewing industry challenges to the Clean Power Plan. The faith coalition’s amicus brief defending the Clean Power Plan is led by several partners in the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, an alliance of four religious organizations and institutions committed to caring for God’s Creation.
The 40 groups signing the brief also include national groups such as the Catholic Climate Covenant, the National Baptist Convention of American, Evangelical Environmental Network, and Hazon; as well as educational institutions such as Fordham University, University of San Diego and LeMoyne College.
Religious organizations signing the amicus brief include:
- Catholic Climate Covenant
- Catholic Rural Life
- Evangelical Environmental Network
- National Council of Churches USA
- Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life
- Church World Service
- Union of Reform Judaism
- Women of Reform Judaism
- National Baptist Convention of America
- Progressive National Baptist Convention
- Hazon
- Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Institute Leadership Team
- Maryknoll Sisters
- Sisters of Divine Compassion
- The Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
- Cabrini College
- Fordham University
- University of San Diego
- Center for Sustainability at Saint Louis University
- Center for Human Rights and International Justice, Boston College
- Conference for Mercy Higher Education
- The Boisi Center
- University of San Francisco
- Le Moyne College
- The Center for Peace and Justice Education
- Loyola University Maryland
- The College of the Holy Cross
- Florida Council of Churches
- Wisconsin Council of Churches
- The Diocese of Stockton, California
- The Diocese of Des Moines
- The Diocese of Davenport, Iowa
- Catholic Committee of Appalachia
- Sisters of Charity of New York
- Dominican Sisters of Springfield, IL
- Sisters of St. Joseph Earth Center
- Sisters of St. Joseph Peace Leadership Team
- Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth Office of Peace, Justice and Ecological Integrity
- School Sisters of Notre Dame Atlantic Midwest Province Department of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation
- Buffalo Diocese Care of Creation Committee
After today’s filings, the appeals court will hear an oral argument in the case on June 2, 2016, with a decision expected later this year.