And the climate crisis is causing real harm right now. In 2024, global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C. The U.S. was battered by deadly hurricanes, raging wildfires, and over two dozen billion-dollar climate disasters. The scale of destruction is large, growing, and deeply unjust.

But immobilized despair is not the answer – even in this challenging time. People of faith are called to respond with courage and clarity. Research shows that the most potent antidote to authoritarianism is when trusted leaders and communities speak out and take action. Across lines of race, religion, class, and geography, the vast majority of Americans overwhelmingly support clean air, clean water, and meaningful climate action. This is a moment for moral leadership rooted in love, justice, and faith.

GreenFaith is stepping forward with hope, urgency, and fierce resolve. We are a lead organization for Sun Day, a national mobilization for climate justice and clean energy on September 19–21, 2025. In congregations across the country, millions of people of all faiths will raise their voices for a just and livable future. 

A few weeks ago, with Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Jewish allies from diverse communities, we lit a green lantern at Boston’s historic Old North Church to signal a moral uprising. The mayor joined us and lit up several of the city’s bridges in green—a public inspiration and signal of the promise of clean energy. 

We are organizing faith communities across the country to preach and show public support for a just energy transition this September. Join us!

It will take sustained, collective effort to build the clean energy future that dismantles the fossil fuel industry’s power, to ensure a just energy transition, and to protect civil society in an increasingly repressive political environment. That’s why we’re building spiritual fortitude and relational power that can endure and win.

In 2024, we trained nearly 3,000 faith leaders—Black, Brown, Indigenous, immigrant, working-class, queer and straight, from traditions including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and traditional African and Indigenous religions—to organize their communities, speak out with conviction, and take strategic action. From Citibank’s headquarters in New York to those resisting oil in Nigeria and coal in Indonesia, our message is clear. Everyone deserves to live in dignity, and the Earth is sacred.

Sun Day builds on this foundation. It is a collective call to action—and a spiritual invocation. In cities and towns across the U.S., people of faith will hold public vigils, sermons, and creative actions demanding an end to fossil fuel subsidies, a just and rapid transition to clean energy, and investment in communities on the frontlines of climate and economic injustice.

Faith communities provide belonging and moral clarity and nourish the courage, joy, and solidarity needed to meet this moment.

We are bridging diverse faith communities, building a unity of purpose, and renewing our spiritual capacity to rise in defense of all life and justice. The path ahead is uncertain, but we walk it with faith on fire.

The post Faith on Fire: Belonging, Courage, and the Spiritual Power of Climate Action appeared first on GreenFaith.

Shine your light. Rise for justice.

On September 19-21, people around the United States will join together to launch a bold new chapter in the fight for climate justice. Sun Day is a day to sound the call to solar and renewable energy. As people of faith, we know that fossil fuels are no longer the way to go.

Here’s how to get started:

✍️ Sign up, take action

Fill out this Sign-Up Form to tell us how you plan to participate. This unlocks access to our GreenFaith Soular Power Leaders Calls—a supportive space to share ideas, get inspired, and grow this movement together.

???? Explore the Action Toolkit

The Toolkit has everything you need—event ideas, how-to guides, and instructions for setting up your event on the map through ControlShift. Use it to plan GreenLight actions, host a community event, or start something brand new!

???? Upcoming Sun Day Events

Be on the lookout for upcoming trainings and gatherings—like our ongoing Welcome Calls, Sacred Action Trainings, Lifting Our Voices Songleading Workshops, Climate Grief to Earth Courage Calls and Generating Soular Power Organizing Trainings. These events are opportunities to connect with the larger Faiths 4 Climate Justice: Sun Day Community. All our events can be found on our GreenFaith US Calendar. 

View the Calendar

????️Put Your Event on the GreenFaith Map and Become Part of the Constellation of Courage

We are delighted you are planning an event and we want to hear more about your plans. One way to share your event is to become part of the constellation of courage and put your event up on the GreenFaith Map using Action Network. Click the button below to view the instructions to get on the map. 

Instructions to Put Your Event on the GreenFaith Map

▶️ New to Sun Day?

Watch our campaign launch recording to hear the vision, get inspired, and see how you can bring Sun Day to life in your community. Please look at our calendar to join our next Welcome Call.

Why get involved with Faiths 4 Climate Justice: Sun Day?

In a time when climate denial, corporate greed, and political inaction threaten our communities and future, we gather not in despair—but in prophetic defiance and faithful hope. As fossil fuel subsidies expand and protections for people and the planet are rolled back, we know this fight is bigger than any one of us. That’s why people of faith and spirit—joined by workers, grandparents, youth, immigrants, queer folks, and more—are coming together to shine a light that cannot be ignored. We are building a constellation of courage across the country for climate justice. 

This is a moment to root ourselves in the power of spirit, song, and solidarity. Together, we’ll ground in faith, rise in courage, and build a path forward for climate justice. All are welcome to be part of this urgent, historic movement—because the stakes have never been higher, and the time to act is now.

Whether you’re just learning about Faiths 4 Climate Justice: Sun Day or you’ve already joined a launch call—welcome. This is your home base for getting involved.

The post Faiths 4 Climate Justice: Sun Day appeared first on GreenFaith.

GreenFaith Mourns the Passing of Pope Francis, A Faithful Champion for Climate Justice

With deep sorrow and profound gratitude, GreenFaith mourns the passing of Pope Francis—a towering spiritual leader in the global movement for climate justice. His climate change legacy will endure for generations not only within the Catholic community but among faith communities worldwide.

Pope Francis made care for the Earth, which he always linked with care for the poor, a central moral concern of our time. He did so in a way that represents the best of religious leadership – by communicating with grace and power and by acting in a way that reflects religious values. 

Through Laudato Si’, written in the lead-up to the historic Paris Climate Agreement, he elevated the climate crisis to the top of the global faith community’s agenda, insisting that environmental destruction is a grave ethical and spiritual failing. Building on the work of previous Popes, courageous Catholic religious orders, and visionaries from other Christian denominations and religions, his articulation of “integral ecology” inspired not only Catholics, but also leaders across traditions. He sparked a new wave of eco-theological reflection and action among Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and more. 

After the adoption of the Paris Agreement, he followed his spectacularly written encyclical with numerous actions which showed the seriousness of his commitment to “our common home.” 

He engaged directly with the fossil fuel industry, calling its leaders to account for their destructive greed and urging Catholics to divest their holdings in coal, oil and gas companies. 

He criticized wealthy nations’ inadequate response to the climate crisis, calling for rich countries to ensure access to clean energy for all and protection for the world’s most vulnerable. 

He supported a response across the Catholic Church to sustainable practices, eco-spirituality and prophetic witness.

We honor Pope Francis for showing the world that faith can be a beacon of hope, justice, and transformation in the face of ecological destruction. 

At this very moment, when hard-won progress on climate change faces grave threats, it falls to all of us, whatever our faith, to honor his legacy by ensuring that our temples, mosques, dojos, gurudwaras, churches and places of prayer and reflection all serve as beacons for climate justice.

May his memory be a blessing—and a call to action.

The post GreenFaith Mourns the Passing of Pope Francis, A Faithful Champion for Climate Justice appeared first on GreenFaith.

Expanded oil and gas subsidies, which are included in current versions of upcoming Federal tax legislation, would support a massive expansion of LNG projects which will more than double national export capacity by 2030. This expansion would lock in decades of methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than CO₂ over 20 years.

We’re sending the following letter to decision-makers, urging them to take right action:

“As faith leaders and people of faith from across the U.S., we urgently call on the government to end fossil fuel subsidies and halt fossil gas expansion. Our traditions teach us to care for the planet and protect the vulnerable. Yet the U.S. spends $20 billion annually subsidizing fossil fuels, fueling pollution, climate destruction, and harming frontline communities while enriching polluters. Additionally, the U.S. plans to double LNG export capacity by 2030, locking in methane emissions 80 times more potent than CO₂ and delaying the clean energy transition. At this pivotal moment, continuing fossil fuel subsidies and LNG expansion is a profound moral failure. We call on you to stop, and to invest in what our communities truly need: housing, healthcare, education, and clean energy…“

The post Sign our Open Letter: End Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Fossil Gas Expansion – A Moral Imperative appeared first on GreenFaith.

Hundreds of people of faith and conscience participated in three powerful on the ground demonstrations and a digital action hour calling on CitiBank to: 

• Rapidly phase out its fossil fuel financing in a way that is transparent and measurable.
• Scale up investment in renewable energy to a level at least four times greater than its fossil fuel financing—the minimum needed to turn the tide.
• Respect the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous communities before embarking on any projects in their territories.
• Contribute to a fund for the permanent loss and damage suffered by communities due to fossil fuel financing.
• Stop financing Formosa Plastics and the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP)

Sweat, Resolve, and Real Change

Religious communities and leaders are no longer willing to stand by as climate chaos and environmental injustice rages on! We stood shoulder to shoulder with frontline communities and coalition partners in the Summer of Heat mobilization: LNG Gulf Finance Hub, Permian Gulf Coast Coalition and International Monitor Formosa Alliance. And guess what? Citibank and Formosa Plastics definitely felt the heat! Here’s a snapshot of what we accomplished Faith Week:

Citibank’s Financing of Fossil Fuels is Immoral and Must Stop

On July 30, 2024, twenty-three courageous clergy and faith activists were arrested at Citibank  for blocking or chaining themselves to the doors of the bank’s headquarters in a prayerful demonstration. Several clergy and lay leaders spoke at pulpits at Citi’s entrance, urging the bank to enact just and loving climate policies. This action brought together 50 people from diverse faiths and was covered by Earthbeat (National Catholic Reporter) and Common Dreams.  

Two days later, on August 1, hundreds of people of faith gathered once again at Citi’s headquarters in New York, rallying in a sweltering heat wave to demand an end to fossil fuel financing. The energy was electric as people of faith sang, danced, prayed, made a cacophony of noise, and delivered petitions signed by over 48,000 people calling on Citi to stop funding projects like Formosa Plastics and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) that are poisoning our planet and hurting innocent people. This action was covered by the Episcopal News Service.

Faithfully Standing Against Environmental Injustice at Formosa Plastics USA HQ

On Friday, August 2 in Livingston, New Jersey, six faith and environmental justice leaders were arrested outside Formosa Plastics’ headquarters during a demonstration that called for justice for communities harmed by the company’s operations in Vietnam, Texas, and Louisiana. GreenFaith members stood in solidarity with the affected community members who were calling for justice, many of whom traveled long distances to bring their message to Formosa’s doors. This protest forced Formosa to shut down its headquarters for the day, bringing attention to the company’s devastating environmental record and the need for accountability.

These actions have demonstrated the power of collective faith and action. They wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our generous donors & grassroots volunteers. Thank you!4

The bank is beginning to shift its climate policies, and we’ve secured a meeting with Citi executives, religious leaders, and community members in September. The ball is rolling. As we look ahead, we’re more determined than ever to hold corporations accountable, demand fossil fuel divestment, and advocate for a just, sustainable future. The summer may be sizzling, but so is our resolve. Together, we’re making change happen.

The post Summer of Heat: Faith Action for Climate Finance appeared first on GreenFaith.

Research shows that receiving postcards and phone calls which encourage voting increases the likelihood that people will vote. GreenFaith invites houses of worship to join us in two actions proven to increase voter turnout: 

• Writing postcards. GreenFaith will send you postcards, addresses of voters, and nonpartisan message tips so that you can send postcards in September and October. It’s easy to organize postcard-writing after prayer or worship services or on a weekday evening. 
• Phone banking: In partnership with the Environmental Voter Project, GreenFaith will host phone banks on Thursdays in September and October, designed to encourage voting among low propensity voters who care about the environment.  We’ll provide all the training your congregation needs to participate in a 90-minute phone banking session. 

This election matters. People of faith and conscience can meet this moment with courage and conviction.

With GreenFaith’s support, congregations across the country can encourage people of all faiths and none to:

• Reflect on the importance our faiths and values place on protecting our precious planet
• Read up on what different candidates and parties say about the issues
• Vote, guided by your values

Learn more about this campaign by watching the launch call recording from September 10, 2024.

The post Vote! For Our Sacred Earth appeared first on GreenFaith.

Avoiding climate disaster requires an immediate end to new fossil fuel development.
But—the world’s banks and asset managers continue to funnel trillions into new coal, oil and gas projects, creating humanitarian and ecological devastation. This is wrong.

Religious Organizations Must Protect People and Planet.

Religious institutions’ financial assets are in the trillions of dollars. They have an ethical duty to align these holdings with their commitment to protect people and the planet.

Financing the Future

That is why faith institutions and people of diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds around the globe are calling on banks and asset managers to finance the future, not to destroy it.
Our call for commitment: Banks and asset managers must measurably align their portfolios with a 1.5 degree future and universal access to clean energy by 2030, making clear progress before then, or we will move our funds to institutions aligned with our values.

The post Multi-Faith Climate Finance Pledge appeared first on GreenFaith.

Faith Leaders Disrupt Chase Bank HQ with Prophetic Ritual of Lament

On September 14, 2023, 30 New Yorkers of faith, all dressed in white as a sign of mourning, silently marched to JP Morgan Chase Bank Headquarters on Madison Ave to protest the financial institution’s continued – and immoral – funding of climate chaos. This nonviolent ritual protest was part of NYC Climate Week and preceded the March to End Fossil Fuels.

A banner with the words GROUND, BREATHE, BRAVE, BECOME was gently laid out on the  sidewalk as the foundation for a beautiful altar made of flowers, candles, stones, and water to represent the elements of the earth.

Using the People’s Mic method of call-and-response, protestors spoke and chanted in a somber, yet fiery ritual of lament for the earth in which they demanded that Chase immediately bring an end to the funding of new oil and gas projects and to instead invest in renewable energy and in communities most impacted by climate change.

Between Litanies of Remembrance to honor climate and ecological disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, forest fires, mountaintop removal, and more, protestors sang:

When the fires burn
And the seas rise
Not in our name
We say not in our name

The ritual climaxed with a dramatic flourish – lighting paper money on fire as Rev. Micah Bucey, Senior Minister of Judson Memorial Church, proclaimed, “We refuse to allow our planet to become a funeral pyre. We light these fires to blaze another way.”

The post Not In Our Name – Faith Leaders Disrupt Chase Bank HQ appeared first on GreenFaith.

In November, our GreenFaith affiliate circle in San Diego, the Interfaith Coalition for Earth Justice, took to the streets for climate justice in: “Ashes to Action: Honoring Our Climate Dead, Protesting Fossil Fuel Banks.” Over the past seven years, the world’s 60 biggest banks poured over $5.5 Trillion into the fossil fuel industry1, driving the climate crisis and directly contributing to deadly impacts in communities across the globe.

To protest this blood money and honor those who have died in climate crisis-fueled disasters (most of whom are from developing nations), a memorial service and protest was held before four banks, Bank of America, Chase, Citibank, and Wells Fargo, while processing with a (mock) coffin to symbolize the mounting casualties and the bank’s culpability.

Speakers and participants came from across San Diego County to call upon the banks to stop funding these death-dealing fossil fuel projects and uplift communities worldwide that deserve a just and livable future. The procession was filled with lament and grief for those lost but also spirit and passion for the hope we have in a better future that we create together.

The post Ashes to Action – San Diego appeared first on GreenFaith.