Mercies for Climate Justice Join Rising Tide Protestival
October 31, 2025
Sister Faith Jones and Sally Neaves at last year’s Rising Tide Protestival
A group of Sisters and friends under the banner of Mercies* will be attending the Rising Tide Protestival at the Newcastle channel on November 28-30. They will join other like-minded organisations at the event, such as the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change.
Sally Neaves, Integral Ecology Animator for the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea said the Mercies long-held commitment to Integral Ecology, along with urgent calls for Christian action from Popes Leo and Francis, compel them to join this event and to stand with those seeking climate justice and a just transition to cleaner energy sources.
“As part of our faith, we honour the sacred depths of all creation. How can we not take a stand as this is destroyed?
“The Port of Newcastle is the largest coal port in the world and we will be attending this protest to draw attention to Australia’s long history of ignoring the impacts of burning fossil fuels on the global climate, including its effects on our Pacific neighbours and those in Australia experiencing extreme weather events.
“We stand with those people and places under threat, who are currently and will be impacted by this injustice, and we stand with those calling for change for the sake of future generations.”
When can we see responsible climate decisions being made?
Sister Mary Tinney, who will be travelling from Brisbane for the event, said that it is widely known that mining communities receive very little in return for the extraction of their resources.
“We have witnessed the impacts of the coal industry in Australia on the communities in which we have ministered. We have seen the economic benefits for some, but also its impacts on local education, human health, local extinctions and pollution. We also know the impacts this is having around the world, especially for those rendered poor.
“Our governments know that these industries must be phased-out, yet they are allowing new gas projects and coal mine expansions to go ahead. Over the years we have tried to meet with our elected representatives and the relevant ministers about this and have been ignored.
“Given Australia’s emission targets and the recent Climate Risk Assessment, we know that many new clean jobs will be needed in the next five years. When can we start to see a just transition for those workers to new, clean jobs of the future? When can we see responsible decisions being made for a safe climate for all?”
Three Urgent Changes Needed
The Mercies will be joining with the thousands of others at Rising Tide in calling for three urgent changes:
- Immediately cancel all new fossil fuel projects
- Tax fossil fuel export profits at 78% to fund community and industrial transition, and pay for climate loss and damage
- End all coal exports from Newcastle – the world’s largest coal port – by 2030.
Join Us
The Mercies involvement will include leading a prayer ritual at the gathering on Saturday, 29 November at 8am, hosting a stall as well as joining in other events on the program.
Contacts:
Sally Neaves sally.neaves@ismapng.org.au 0408 703 204
Sister Mary Tinney RSM mary.tinney@mercy.org.au 0417 079 459.
*The Mercies group will consist of around nine people, including Sisters of Mercy, staff and Young Mercy Links who are members of or connected with the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea.