The Islamic Declaration on Climate Change, endorsed in August by Islamic scholars from around the world, calls on countries to phase out greenhouse gas emissions and switch to 100 percent renewable energy. With 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, the collective statement sent a strong signal ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit at the end of September and the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris in December.
Released during a two-day symposium on Islam and climate change in Istanbul, the declaration explains why Muslims should be responsible activists for the welfare of the planet, and sets out a series of demands to world leaders and the business community.
First, the declaration calls on policymakers responsible for crafting the comprehensive climate agreement to be adopted in Paris to come to "an equitable and binding conclusion." The agreement should set clear targets and establish ways to monitor them.