Almost every religion, in some form or another, ponders the origins of the universe. Perhaps they all believe that creation is a divine act that should be treated as such. While the COP26 in Glasgow is not the be-all and end-all, what role can Islam and other faiths play in climate change mitigation?

Because of uneven human activity on Earth, the planet is suffering global warming. “Corruption (plunder) has appeared in both land and sea because of what people’s own hands have brought,” God Almighty declares in the Noble Qur’an, “so that they may taste something of what they have done in the hopes of turning back.” (30:41)

To respond to the above issue, we could state that identifying humans’ duty as trustees and stewards of the Earth is underpinning the current global warming, climate change, and environmental disaster. Humanity has failed to fulfill its responsibility to protect the Earth and its surroundings. Instead, overconsumption, overexploitation, and resource usage plague humanity.

Nothing else about global warming and climate change is caused by humans. We have now surpassed nature as a dominant force. Let us be protectors of nature and the Earth instead of dominating and plundering it. “The world is pleasant and verdant, and surely God has appointed you stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves,” the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) remarked.

Given the rapid increase in global warming, which is creating climate change, and the fact that the cause is human, it is necessary to reconsider humanity’s position on the planet, which is stewardship. Humanity must right the wrongs that have been done to the Earth. The Earth has been plundered by humanity.

We may not have been present at the last COP26, but we have a say in the ongoing discussion about global warming and climate change. Climate change has had an impact on Malawi due to global warming. May the world’s carbon emissions be drastically reduced, and poor countries be helped to adapt to climate change.