Since its launch in 1970, Earth Day has grown into a global movement uniting over one billion people in 192 countries to tackle urgent environmental crises, including biodiversity loss, plastic pollution, and climate change. Faith leaders and people of faith played a critical role as advocates for the planet on that first Earth Day. In 2025, as we mark its 55th anniversary, faith communities continue as important voices for the protection of our shared home.
Faith is a powerful force that brings together communities and inspires action, making it a vital component of Earth Day 2025’s theme, Our Power, Our Planet. Across traditions, faith teaches stewardship, compassion, and responsibility for the Earth. As we advocate for tripling renewable energy by 2030, faith-based communities can lead by example-adopting clean energy, advocating for policies that protect the planet, and fostering hope in the face of environmental challenges. Just as faith moves mountains, it can also drive the shift to a healthier future, reminding us that protecting our shared home is both a moral obligation and spiritual calling.
Below are some example sermons you can use for your Earth Action Day of Worship. Make adjustments for your congregation!
Faith communities have played a pivotal role in large-scale environmental commitments. In 2015, Interfaith Power & Light (IFPL), a coalition representing 18,000 congregations across 40 U.S. states, called on congregations to reduce carbon pollution by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. More recently, in 2020, EDO collaborated with the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation to host the global dialogue Honoring Tradition Keepers & Change Agents as Earth Day Turns 50, bringing together leaders from the World Council of Churches and the United Nations Environment Programme to discuss faith-based environmental action. 2023 we saw faith leaders united across all six inhabited continents, from various faiths hosted meditations look towards a more sustainable and equitable futures.
From churches installing solar panels to mosques organizing clean-up initiatives and synagogues promoting sustainable dietary practices, faith groups continue to be a driving force in the fight against climate change. Their influence reaches millions, inspiring collective action rooted in moral responsibility and spiritual values.
Faith-based communities play a crucial role in Earth Action Day, EARTHDAY.ORG’s reminder that we are all a part of this planet and we need to protect it, by embodying the principles of Educate, Advocate, and Mobilize in their environmental stewardship. Religious institutions have long been centers of learning, and through Earth Action Day, they can educate their congregations on environmental justice, sustainability, and the moral imperative to protect the planet. Faith leaders can integrate environmental themes into sermons, prayers, and religious teachings, inspiring their congregations to see caring for the Earth as a sacred duty. By preaching on stewardship, justice, and compassion for future generations, religious leaders can deepen their community’s commitment to environmental action.
