FAITH leaders from across Britain have called on the government to back a global treaty to end the use of fossil fuels worldwide.

In an open letter, they urged ministers to support a fair and well-managed transition to renewable energy, funded by the profits of the fossil fuel industry.

Signatories include Faith for the Climate director Dr Shanon Shah, who is Muslim.

He said: “For many people of faith, the wanton extraction of the Earth’s natural resources and the ruthless exploitation of communities and ecosystems is an immense moral wrong. 

“To address this, our faiths compel us to work holistically for equity, justice and planetary repair — core ingredients of the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.

“This is why we call upon the UK government to have the moral courage and ethical vision to endorse the treaty.”

The treaty calls for a fast, fair and funded end to the use of fossil fuels around the world, and for governments to co-ordinate to bring forward a globally just transition. 

Trade unions, including Unison and Public Services International, as well as 16 national governments, have backed the campaign.