DANCHURCHAID Turns the Past Into Action

Climate Responsibility for 100 Years of Activities

A project by DanChurchAid:

DanChurchAid has calculated its carbon footprint for the last 100 years and takes responsibility for historical and future emissions – the first major development organization to take these measures.

It is the world’s richest countries that emit the most greenhouse gases, but it is the world’s poorest who pay the biggest price. To help those who struggle the most, we must think innovatively.

“In DanChurchAid we are firsthand witnesses to how climate change displaces and causes food insecurity for millions of people worldwide. For us, the obvious thing is to set an example and to pioneer new standards of climate responsibility.

We take responsibility for our historical emissions and invest in climate adaptation and tree planting in developing countries. It benefits people who are already facing severe droughts, floods, and extreme weather due to climate change.” says, The General Secretary of DanChurchAid, Birgitte Qvist-Sørensen.

A historic climate responsibility

DanChurchAid has calculated its historical climate footprint and takes responsibility for it by accounting for greenhouse gas emissions emitted over its 100 years of development operations; the first significant development organisation in the world to do so.

We have invested massively in climate adaptation and will plant 280,000 trees. This number of trees is the equivalent of the 165,000 tonnes of CO2 that DanChurchAid has emitted over its 100 years of relief and development work. It will serve as a component of our work in some of the most climate-exposed areas in Uganda.

How have we calculated 100 years of emissions?

“Of course, it is difficult to make up for the full climate misdeeds of the past. But we can estimate past emissions and do as much as we can, by investing in climate adaptation and tree planting for the benefit of people in developing countries. They pay the highest price for climate change in which they have the smallest stake,” says Birgitte Qvist-Sørensen.

DanChurchAid has, through its 100 years as a development organization, emitted around 165.000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere through its coordination of airlifts, clearing of landmines, supporting of partners and  their efforts to build resilience, as well as through local development, such as running secondhand shops etc.

“With this historic initiative we acknowledge our part of climate responsibility. We hope to inspire others around the world to aim for the same high standards. We present the initiative at the climate summit, COP27, in Egypt and urge the developed countries to live up to their historical responsibility and raise climate finance to the developing countries.”

 “We are not only facing a climate crisis, we are facing an unfair crisis. Those with historical responsibility for global warming, should turn their past into action.”

For more information about this project please click here.