Photo by Alex KubalaThe Baha'is of the United States have worked with other organizations to advance sustainable development since 1990, when preparations began for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Though the term "sustainable development" is relatively recent, Baha'is have always supported the concept. Sustainable development has been described as "development that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."

Baha’i teachings stress that sustainable development depends on humanity’s acceptance of ethical and spiritual principles that foster economic, social and environmental well being. Pivotal among those principles is the oneness of humanity:

"The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens….
The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable, unless and until its unity is firmly established." —Baha'u'llah

Climate Change

In 2008, the Bahá'í International Community released  “Seizing the Opportunity: Redefining the Challenge of Climate Change,” a compilation of "initial thoughts" on climate change that begins with this statement:

“Once the domain of scientists and negotiators, the discourse on climate change has become a core part of informed debates about the future direction of the affairs of humankind. Authoritative assessments that global warming is “unequivocal” and directly linked to human activity; that it constitutes the “widest-ranging market failure ever seen”; and that it represents the “defining human development challenge of the 21st century” – have seized the attention of governments and peoples alike.”

The paper goes on to note that the issue presents more than a technical challenge. At its core, it is a moral challenge raising questions of equity and justice. These are difficult questions but they must be addressed if humanity is to devise an effective and lasting solution to the problem. “The principle of the oneness of humankind must become the ruling principle of international life,” it emphasizes. That principle will require profound changes at the level of the individual, the community and the nations of the world.

In 2009, The Baha'i International Community endorsed an Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change, which recognizes that "climate change is not merely an economic or technical problem, but rather at its core is a moral, spiritual and cultural one." The declaration calls on people of all faith traditions to join in protection of the planet and its resources. It also drafted an appeal that has been signed by 25 nongovernmental organizations, religious groups, and policy institutes. It calls on world leaders to "consider deeply the ethical and moral questions at the root of the climate change crisis."

Recent Headlines

Brilliant Star wins APEX Award of Excellence for Green Writing
July 22, 2010
Brilliant Star magazine, published for children ages 8–12 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, received a 2010 APEX Award of Excellence for Green Writing for its March/April 2009 issue entitled "Caring for Our Planet," which was produced in observance of the U.N. Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, 2005–2014. This is the magazine's fourth APEX Award for Publication Excellence.

Alternatives to consumer culture focus of new Baha'i document
May 5, 2010 - Baha'i World News Service
A new statement challenging the common assumption that human beings are slaves to self-interest and consumerism has been issued by the Baha'i International Community...The document, titled "Rethinking Prosperity: Forging Alternatives to a Culture of Consumerism," challenges the view that there is an intractable conflict between what people want – which supposedly is to consume more – and what humanity needs.

Climate ethics is talking point at Copenhagen conference
Dec. 17, 2009 - Baha'i World News Service
Acceptance of the ethical dimension of climate change has risen to a new level of importance in discussions at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, say members of the Baha'i delegation.

New Course Explores Scientific and Spiritual Dimensions of Climate Change
Nov. 16, 2009 - Baha'is of the U.S.
A study course on the Scientific and Spiritual Dimensions of Climate Change has just been made available online by the International Environment Forum (IEF), a Baha'i-inspired organization addressing environment and sustainable development.

Religions Call for Climate Action
Oct. 30, 2009 - BBC News
Leaders from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Baha'i, Jain and Zoroastrian faiths say there is a "moral imperative" to addressing global climate change, which poses a "very real threat to the world's poor."

Baha'is Join Global Plan for "Generational Change" on Climate Change
Oct. 27, 2009 - Baha'i World News Service
The Baha'i International Community today announced that it has become a partner in a United Nations-sponsored program to promote "generational change" to address climate change and environmental sustainability. The program, which is co-sponsored by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), seeks to promote lifestyle changes that will help slow global warming and other environmental problems during a seven-year period from 2010 to 2017.

Ethics are 'Missing Dimension' in Cilmate Debate, says IPCC Head
Sept. 23, 2009 - Baha'i World News Service
The inequities and injustices that are likely to occur on a global level because of climate change mean that world leaders must carefully examine the moral and ethical dimensions of global warming, said Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Conference: Religion Joins with Science to Address Environment Issues
Sept. 17, 2009 - Baha'i World News Service
People’s spiritual beliefs affect their attitude toward climate change, with religious groups increasingly helping to frame humanity’s response to environmental issues. That was one of the messages from a session at the 33rd annual conference of the Association for Baha’i Studies, held in mid-August in Washington, D.C. The gathering drew nearly 1,000 participants from some 20 countries.