On the US political spectrum, evangelical Christians are more commonly associated with the right than the left. And the right wing is where climate change denial, or at least skepticism, is most prominent.

But according to Dorothy Boorse, associate biology professor at Gordon College – a Christian institution – calls for climate change action are moving into the mainstream of the evangelical community. “There are some changes in American evangelical culture,” Boorse said at the opening ceremony of Climate Week NYC on Monday.

Boorse said that evangelical Christians are beginning to link calls to care for the poor and vulnerable to the impact of climate change. “The ways in which environmental degradation harms the poor are so obvious,” said said.

She pointed to the creation of new groups, such as Young Evangelicals for Climate Action, as galvanizing increasing support for climate change action in the church. She also noted that she co-authored a paper for the National Association of Evangelicals, Loving the Least of These: Addressing a Changing Environment, that argues for figuring out a way to address the impact of climate change on the poor.

“This link between care for others and love of your neighbor and caring about the climate is beginning to percolate into the common conversation in the evangelical community,” she said.

If evangelical calls for climate action gain sufficient momentum, proponents of climate change action may find themselves with a powerful political ally. Even if it is true that the 2013 presidential election marked “the end of evangelical dominance in politics“, Christian groups have not yet lost all their influence on Capitol Hill.