GENEVA (RNS/ENI) When church bells start pealing in Copenhagen and around the world on Sunday (Dec. 13), they will not be heralding an early arrival of Christmas but rather a call to action and prayer against global climate change.

More than 100 world political leaders, as well as faith leaders and environmental activists, are converging on the Danish capital. A crucial United Nations summit began on Monday to map out an international agenda on climate change.

On Sunday, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and activists from around the world will present a petition to Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Mingling and working with many of the activist groups will be representatives of major faiths, including bishops, imams, rabbis and priests. Workshops, services and rallies will be held throughout the 11-day summit.

Churches will chime in for environmental stewardship by sounding their bells or other instruments 350 times at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The 350 chimes represent the parts per million that many scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

“In some countries, the question has been raised whether churches have the right to use their bells for what may be considered to be a political campaign,” said Guillermo Kerber, the World Council of Churches program executive on climate change.

“Those who support the campaign see the care of creation and of people’s lives and livelihoods threatened by climate change more as an ethical and spiritual issue that, of course, has political implications, not in a partisan sense but referring to the common good.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told faith leaders at a Nov. 3 meeting near London that they occupy a “unique position” in discussion on the fate of the planet, and that their communities count on this crucial issue.

“The world’s great faith communities occupy a unique position in discussion on the fate of our planet and the accelerating impacts of climate change. You are the leaders who have the largest, widest and deepest reach,” Ban said. “You can inspire, you can provoke, you can challenge your leaders, through your wisdom, through your followers.”