DOI: 10.11648/j.ash.20261203.11 ISSN: 2472-0984

Ethiopian Evangelicals' Attitudes Towards and Responses to Climate Change: Implications for Environmental and Theological Research

Mikiyas Sima, Aklilu Dalelo, Tibeb Tafess
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The interplay between religion and climate change has been extensively assessed in the Global North. However, the Global South where religion plays a crucial social role and is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change remains less explored. Moreover, existing literature suggests a need for cross-national studies on evangelicalism and climate change within different contexts. In response, we examined the attitudes and responses of Ethiopian evangelicals to climate change using a quantitative approach. A questionnaire was administered to 264 respondents, representing four denominations in Addis Ababa. The results showed that the vast majority of respondents hold information about climate change that aligns well with the IPCC's assertions. The notion that evangelicals' doctrinal beliefs lead to anti-environmentalism isn’t supported here; respondents across denominations hold similar viewpoints. the study showed that majority of urban Ethiopian evangelicals (97.7%) believe climate change is real and primarily driven by human activity, placing higher trust in climate scientists (79.9%) and religious leaders (51.5%) than in government officials. These findings suggest that effective climate action plans in this context should be strategically channeled through faith-based platforms to enhance engagement. However, a gap exists between belief, level of concern, and practical responses. We concluded that Ethiopian evangelicals could potentially engage in climate action if obstacles to practical responses are addressed.

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