This contribution explores the significance but also the immense complexities of Christian
discourse on confessing guilt within the context of climate change. It draws especially on
South African discourse on confessing guilt in the context of apartheid. The argument of the
essay is twofold: Christians with an enduring large carbon footprint may wish to confess
their guilt in this regard, but typically find it difficult to live from God’s liberating
forgiveness and are therefore prone to rather desperate efforts to save the world themselves.
By contrast, Christians with a small carbon footprint may opt for alternative understanding
of salvation, namely in terms of redemption from the looming threat of climate change.