Climate change can be a challenging topic. It is natural for people of faith to feel deep empathy for people around the world struggling with climate impacts. But the news is not all bad. Scientists say that we are in a critical decade to take action to protect the long-term stability of the climate. Faith groups are a natural place to wrestle with questions about the appropriate response to climate change. We are people who are called to love our neighbors, not just the ones we know, but everyone. As part of our work at international climate policy conferences, we hear stories about the hardships climate change causes for people around the world. These stories move us to compassion and motivate us to work for climate justice.  Now is the perfect time to start this conversation with others in your faith community—and we’ve designed Changing by Choice to help you get the conversation started.

This study series is based on the Global Ethical Stocktake, an effort launched ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. The goal of the Global Ethical Stocktake was to start a global conversation about the moral and ethical dimensions of climate change. People around the world have used these five questions as a framework for group discussion about climate change. The central question is “if we understand the science about climate change and understand that it is harming people, why do we continue to resist making changes to stop it?” The question of why we fail to do better even when we know better is a timeless question for our spiritual and religious traditions. We hope that incorporating these questions into your Lenten practice will help shape your understanding of climate change as a matter of faith, and motivate you for action on this important justice issue.

The study includes five lessons, each one focused on one of the Global Ethical Stocktake Questions. Each lesson includes a video featuring faith leaders and experts on climate diplomacy. Scripture, faith statements, news articles, and other resources are provided to guide your discussion.