WCC news: WCC urges faith leaders to advocate against fossil fuels at COP28 side event

Co-organized by Christian Aid and the All Africa Conference of Churches, an event at the Faith Pavilion of COP28 explored the crucial intersection of financing, ethics, human rights, and climate justice from a faith perspective, delving into the role of faith actors in mobilising communities and advocating for climate justice. Athena Peralta (left), WCC programme executive for economic and ecological justice, speaking at the COP28 side event “Intersection of financing, ethics, human rights and climate justice: vital role of faith actors”, held at the Faith Pavilion. Photo: Valter Muniz/WCC 7 December 2023 Among the speakers, Athena Peralta, WCC programme executive for economic and ecological justice, addressed key policy issues during the side event, emphasising the urgency of climate finance and the need to curb fossil fuel expansion. She underscored the incompatibility of new fossil fuel expansion with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C. She highlighted fossil fuels as a significant contributor to global climate change and pointed out the alarming trend of rich, industrialised countries investing in new fossil fuel projects. "Faith leaders must speak truth to power and call out the greed that undergirds fossil fuel production, consumption, and financing,” stressed Peralta. She also emphasised the moral imperative of climate finance as reparations, asserting that it goes beyond a one-off payment, advocating for a systemic approach to redistributing resources. The 2023 “Banking on Climate Chaos Fossil Fuel Finance Report” revealed staggering numbers, with fossil fuel financing reaching $5.5tn in the seven years since the Paris Agreement and $669bn-worth in 2022 alone.  Peralta concluded by urging faith leaders to champion climate reparations to respond to the climate crisis, grounded in the principle that polluters must pay. WCC special page on COP28 WCC joins global faith efforts for women's health amid climate crisis (WCC news release, 5 December 2023) Global Climate Action spotlight: Faith actors' crucial role echoes at COP28 (WCC news release, 3 December 2023) Indigenous youth advocate Julia Rensberg paves the way for climate resilience at COP28 Faith Pavilion (WCC news release, 3 December 2023) WCC general secretary: “At COP 28 we have to speak up for justice” (WCC news release 3 December 2023) At COP28, WCC general secretary hopes for “less talk and more walk” (WCC interview, 1 December 2023) Interfaith talanoa dialogue brings “ethical, moral, and spiritual voice” to COP28 (WCC news release, 30 November 2023) As COP28 begins, faith communities stand ready to push for climate justice (WCC news release, 30 November 2023) WCC executive committee statement on COP28's responsibility for climate justice "Confluence of Conscience: Uniting for Planetary Resurgence" - Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement for COP28 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland