Foundation In 1992, GreenFaith was founded as "Partners for Environmental Quality" in New Jersey by episcopal priest Rev. Dr. Franklin E. Vilas and other New Jersey Christian and Jewish faith leaders, Harper is a
Christian humanist and a 1985 graduate of
Princeton University as well as the
Union Theological Seminary. He first became involved in environmental projects during his elementary school years.
after conducting hundreds of interviews with people of various faiths about divine experiences involving nature.
Increased activity In 2005,
Hurricane Katrina "marked a surge of activity" for GreenFaith, as
its ensuing environmental disasters "cast a spotlight" on the
effects of climate change on vulnerable communities. Following the 2006 film
An Inconvenient Truth, more faith-based organizations prioritized
environmental justice and
stewardship in their practices, leading to increased GreenFaith collaborations. GreenFaith was among the organizers of the
2017 People's Climate March in
Washington, D.C. In June 2018, GreenFaith collaborated with the
Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies on the
Bhumi Project to mobilize Hindus against climate change. speaks at Washington, D.C.'s Fire Drill Fridays protest, 2019.On December 6, 2019, GreenFaith protested the financial institutions in
Washington, D.C. that profited from fossil fuel projects and immigrant detention. American actress
Jane Fonda spoke at the protest. In October 2021, Roman Catholic association
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas protested fossil fuels and the climate emergency outside
Bay View Academy in
Riverside, Rhode Island. The sisters cited their support of GreenFaith's Washington D.C. protests calling for green energy, commending the marches' leadership by Native American activists. In October 2022, GreenFaith members in
Charlotte, North Carolina held a peaceful protest outside of the Bank of America's headquarters, urging a
Just Transition to renewable energy. In December 2022, a GreenFaith roundtable in Ghana began a series of interfaith conversations to see the country's plan for a Just Transition to 100% renewable energy. The meetings resulted in the creation of a Keep It In The Ground Ghana campaign, aimed at reducing fossil fuel projects. Other backers and participants included senator
Ed Markey, Michigan rep.
Rashida Tlaib, New York rep.
Jamaal Bowman, Tennessee rep.
Justin Pearson, actress
Jane Fonda, Canadian actress
Naomi Klein, actor
Mark Ruffalo, and environmentalist
Bill McKibben. EACOP constructor
TotalEnergies published a public response to the report the following week, criticizing the "allegations"., protest
BlackRock on May 31, 2022. Among those arrested on this day was director Fletcher Harper.After the release of GreenFaith's report, 8 African faith leaders signed a letter condemning the mistreatment of graves and sacred places by TotalEnergies. In the letter they condemn the displacement of 100,000 people, the state brutality against protestors who "walk in fear of abduction", habitat destruction, water pollution, failed crops, reduced life expectancy as in Shell Oil's Niger Delta rilling, and human rights abuses. On January 31, 2024, GreenFaith and
350.org protestors gathered in
Charlotte, North Carolina to oppose the
Mountain Valley Pipeline which would carry gasoline and methane "more than 300 miles from West Virginia to Southern Virginia", as well as the pipeline's 31-mile Southgate Extension. A protestor criticized the new fossil fuel infrastructure, stating that after it is built, it is "locked in for a number of decades". In March 2024, a GreenFaith imam and pastor collaborated to create a People's Climate Justice Budget, which details an example of "$1 billion in on-budget state spending" for environmental justice in
Queens, New York. They cited the Bible's
Genesis 1:2 and
Matthew 22:39 which "instruct humans to care for the earth as well as our neighbors", and the Quran's
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:205 and
Surah Al-Kahf 18:24, which state that humans are "custodians of the planet" with "an obligation to plan for the future". During the summer of 2024, GreenFaith was among the organizers of the
Summer of Heat on Wall Street campaign. On July 30, 2024, 24 faith leaders and their supporters in
New York were arrested after chaining themselves to the Citibank HQ's front doors for 40 minutes. The
interfaith protest included
Jewish,
Catholic,
Quaker,
Episcopalian and
Methodist environmental activists. == Complications and criticism ==