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One way to think about the “global” nature of Buddhism is to consider not just the spread of Buddhist practitioners and institutions across the globe but also how they imagine and address global issues. The most literally global issue of our time is anthropogenic climate change. Recently, the Sydney Buddhist Centre announced that it would divest from all fossil fuels, claiming that it is the first Buddhist organisation in the world to do so. Seeing the media release, I was immediately interested whether and how the move was justified in Buddhist terms. Indeed one of the Centre’s members, Ratnajyoti, explains that:
As Buddhists we are actively trying to transform our consciousness so we appreciate the absolute interconnection between all things. We want to increase our awareness of the impacts of our way of life and take responsibility for them wherever we can. The catastrophe of climate change has such serious impacts for all living beings we really want to start to step up to the challenge. Although this decision to shift our money or buy green energy are small gestures we will be seeking to build on them.
While I’m very sympathetic to this position, I wonder how other Buddhists view this issue. I could imagine there is a range of positions on the appropriate response towards climate change. Any thoughts?
Here is the full text of the Centre’s media release:
Sydney Buddhist Centre first in world to dump coal, oil, and gas investments
The Sydney Buddhist Centre has become the first Buddhist organisation in the world to shift its investments from coal, oil, and gas, making the ethical decision in light of the increasing impacts of climate change being felt around the world.
Globally, more than 520 organisations have divested from fossil fuels – including governments, religious, and educational institutions.
One member of the Sydney Buddhist Centre Management Committee, Ratnajyoti said it made sense for his centre to shift their investments away from fossil fuels.
“We know that the extraction and burning of fossil fuels – coal, oil, and gas – is the main driver of climate change,” Ratnajyoti said. “The decision to remove our investments away from banks that invest in fossil fuels was an ethical one we took after seeing the damage that unchecked fossil fuel burning is doing to our climate – and how these impacts are felt by those least able to afford it”.
“As Buddhists we are actively trying to transform our consciousness so we appreciate the absolute interconnection between all things. We want to increase our awareness of the impacts of our way of life and take responsibility for them wherever we can. The catastrophe of climate change has such serious impacts for all living beings we really want to start to step up to the challenge. Although this decision to shift our money or buy green energy are small gestures we will be seeking to build on them.”
Gillian Reffell who attends the Centre said she is proud it is leading the way and called on other Buddhist centres across the globe to follow
“I think it is great that the Sydney Buddhist Centre is following its ethics and taking action on climate change. I hope other Buddhist Centres and other spiritual groups will do the same,” Ms Reffell said.
The move makes the Sydney Buddhist Centre just the latest of a growing number of institutions to become part of a grassroots campaign that is spreading around the world and is modelled on the 1980s divestment movement to end apartheid in South Africa.
More information on fossil fuel divestment can be found here.
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