WCC News: Beyond numbers: COP29 side event advocates for justice-driven climate finance

At the COP29 side event, “Beyond numbers: A Dialogue on the New Collective Quantified Goal from Faith and Ethical Perspectives,” hosted by the Interfaith Liaison Committee, which the World Council of Churches (WCC) co-chairs, faith leaders and advocates called for a climate finance model rooted in justice and accountability. Speakers emphasized that effective climate finance must go beyond numbers to directly support the adaptation and resilience of communities facing the harshest climate impacts. Valeriane Bernard Co-chair of the Interfaith Liaison Committee moderate the side event at COP29. Photo: Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC 12 November 2024 Harjeet Singh, senior advisor at CAN International and a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty representative, stressed the need for climate financing that addresses systemic injustices affecting frontline communities. “The faith community, along with health communities, has such a deep connection with individuals,” Singh said. “We can see things beyond challenges that make climate change easier to connect with. It’s about why we need to save the planet, what things we’re doing wrong, and why we need to hold leaders accountable. This fight is massively around numbers, and we, as civil society, are demanding $5 billion in real finance—not just loans, but resources that truly support communities facing climate impacts.” Sabine Minninger, climate policy advisor at Bread for the World in Germany, emphasized the need for structural change and innovative financing mechanisms. “The money is there; it just has to be used in the right way, collected in a fair and just manner,” Minninger explained. “We need climate finance that is new and based on the polluter-pays principle. This must be additional to other aid so that climate justice can finally flow to the people who need it most.” Representing Indigenous perspectives, Hindou Omari Ibrahim, president of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad, called out the lack of direct financial access for Indigenous communities. “For Indigenous peoples, it’s not just about where the money is but how it’s accessible and whether it truly supports us,” she stated. “Out of the $1.7 billion promised for Indigenous peoples, only 2% has actually reached our communities.” Athena Peralta, director of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development, highlighted WCC’s longstanding advocacy for tax justice to fund effective climate action. “Since 2019, the World Council of Churches has been campaigning for tax justice, including wealth taxes, to mobilize the resources needed for climate action,” Peralta explained. “We call on the super-rich to contribute their fair share, not just to address runaway inequality but because their massive investments in polluting industries drive the climate crisis. Sustainable climate finance must be based on the principle that polluters pay.” The event closed with a collective call for policymakers to center climate finance policies on justice, equity, and direct access for the most vulnerable. Side event photo gallery here “Creation itself is a teacher,” urge faith leaders at COP29 prayer service (News Release, 11 November 2024) WCC advocates for justice-driven climate action at COP29 (News Release, 11 November 2024) Interfaith Dialogue on Climate urges action, compassion, and resilience ahead of COP29 (News Release, 07 November 2024) Biodiversity COP16: ethical imperatives, Indigenous perspectives—and the work ahead (News Release, 04 November 2024) WCC, ACT Alliance, and Lutheran World Federation issue joint call to action for biodiversity (News Release, 30 October 2024) WCC advocates for creation care and justice at start of triple COP journey (News Release, 24 October 2024) 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 Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland