Waterloo, ON – On January 26th and 27th, leaders from MEDA and 17 other Anabaptist organizations met virtually and in person at the Anabaptist Collaboration on Climate Change (ACCC) in Akron, Pennsylvania. At this gathering, the leaders drafted and signed a statement that recognizes the threat that climate change represents to our world and commits to advancing just and sustainable climate solutions. Organized by the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (CSCS), the meeting was the largest to date of its kind among Anabaptist leaders in North America. The purpose of the ACCC meeting was also to lay the foundation for greater future cooperation between like-minded anabaptist organizations.
MEDA is pleased to sign this statement that reaffirms its Environment and Climate Change (ECC) focus and its commitment to providing environmentally sustainable practices in its operations and international programming. It has already made great strides in integrating sustainability into its organization by creating a green team, which is an internal committee of passionate employees who are committed to advancing environmental initiatives. It is further developing ideas and strategies to reach its sustainability goals. Recently, MEDA joined Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR)’s Regional Sustainability Initiative as an Observing Organization that will further enable it to foster a culture of sustainability and encourage its employees to set ambitious and realistic sustainability targets.
MEDA includes an ECC lens in all its work and conducts environmental assessments that ensure its work provides ecologically sustainable approaches to poverty alleviation. Through its programming, environmental experts help both MEDA staff and clients to achieve a more equitable and sustainable approach. MEDA’s Environmental Management System (EMS) includes screening and assessment tools that mitigate environmental and climate change risks associated with its work. The EMS also supports entrepreneurs in climate change adaptation and improves local environment conditions.
Mira Chouinard, MEDA’s Acting Technical Director, Environment and Climate Change, affirms the value of committing to address climate change by joining with like-minded Anabaptist organizations to become a signatory of the CSCS’ consensus statement.
“Climate change is a complex phenomenon that requires collective action. By working together with our Anabaptist partners to implement concrete environmental and climate solutions, we will not only empower our clients to commit to an environmentally sustainable future but play an important role in mitigating and adapting to the worst effects of climate change.”
The Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions (CSCS) was founded five years ago and serves as a joint project between Eastern Mennonite University, Mennonite Central Committee, and Goshen College. To maximize its impact, CSCS actively builds relationships among Anabaptists and other faith communities and supports partner organizations to devise meaningful solutions to the climate change crisis.
“…There is a growing need for building collaborations among Anabaptist organizations to create broader impact, and CSCS would like to embrace this role to coordinate work and catalyze actions,” CSCSC Advancement Director, Mark Lancaster, said.
MEDA is pleased to be aligned with other Anabaptist organizations in their shared commitment to advance sustainable solutions that will mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Read the original news article from the Centre for Sustainable Climate Solutions here.
