On Dec. 12 a historic agreement was finalized by representatives from 195 nations, one that will impact all of us, including future generations. The Paris Agreement affirmed the commitment made in Copenhagen in 2009 to limit the Earth's temperature increase to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. In fact, the meeting agreed to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C. This new goal is indeed ambitious, and will require a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a rapid transition to a low-carbon economy.

Non-governmental organizations from around the world, including many from the religious community, advocated vigorously for an agreement. The Christian Reformed Church of North America, of which I am a member, established a campaign, the Climate Witness Project, to add its voice and efforts to this important work. This project involved 35 congregations in Canada and the United States. A delegation attended the COP 21 conference and sent daily reports to participants to keep us up-to-date on progress.

As a Christian, I believe that we are all called to be stewards of the creation. We may use the Earth's resources, but in such a way that will not destroy the environment or cause harm to our neighbours. During the past 30 years or so, we have become acutely aware of the global impact increasing levels of greenhouse gases have had on the Earth's climate. This has resulted in nearly all countries of the world feeling the effects of higher than normal temperatures. Many poorer, low-lying nations have experienced flooding resulting from higher water levels and from intense storms. Even in the Hamilton area, we have recently experienced several "once in a 100-year" storms.

It was heartening to see Prime Minister Trudeau and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna take a leading role in the discussions and commit Canada to do our share in terms of greenhouse gas reductions. The support of both the federal and provincial governments is essential as we move toward a low-carbon economy. Many of the technical solutions are already available - electric vehicles, solar voltaic and water heating systems, wind turbines, high efficiency LED lighting, geothermal heating and cooling, public transit. Now we need changes to the national building code to require low-carbon housing, district heating, solar panels for new buildings, energy-efficient windows and lighting. Many new jobs will open up as the transition is made from fossil to renewable fuels.

Although the issue of climate change requires political and technical solutions, it is primarily a moral issue. And this is where religious communities have a unique role to play. Science and engineering can help us to understand and work out solutions, but they cannot provide the moral framework to change society's priorities from an economy of growth and wastefulness to one of sustainability, from selfishness to concern for our neighbours. In other words, religious communities must work with politicians, scientists, engineers, and industrialists to tackle the immense issue of climate change. No one party can do it by itself.

In addition to reduced greenhouse gases, the Paris Agreement also established a Green Climate Fund to provide a mechanism through which the richer nations can contribute money to poorer countries to assist them in adapting to a low-carbon economy, to help them prevent future impacts and to repair damage caused by a changing climate. The goal of this fund is to raise $100 billion by 2020 and $100 billion every year thereafter. It is in every developed nation's self-interest to enable developing nations to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and to adapt and respond to a changing climate. Such action may reduce the number of environmental refugees in future years.

We all have a role to play in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. We can begin by decreasing our own activities dependent on fossil fuels. We can encourage our governments at all levels to work toward a low-carbon economy. We can encourage our religious leaders to speak out against the environmental injustices in the world. The current path that we are on simply is not one that will provide a healthy future for future generations; to maintain the status quo is not an option.