| Athena Peralta, director of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development, answers frequently asked questions about the outcomes of Biodiversity COP16 and Climate COP29—and why churches have a crucial role now and in the future. |
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 | | At COP29, members of the Ecumenical movement, including the World Council of Churches (WCC) ACT Alliance and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), join forces in an impactful stunt to demand financial strategies that prioritize the world’s most vulnerable communities. The collaborative action emphasizes the urgent need for equitable climate finance solutions that address the disproportionate effects of climate change on marginalized populations. Through this united stand, faith-based organizations call on global leaders to incorporate justice and compassion into financial mechanisms for sustainable development. Photo: © Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC |
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What are some of the impacts the world has seen from the climate emergency during 2024? Peralta: We are on track to the warmest year on record. In the last two months, major flooding devastated some parts of Spain. Six or seven consecutive typhoons hit the Philippines, leaving communities in a vicious cycle of rebuilding and indebtedness. Prolonged droughts and relentless rainfall in various parts of the African region are driving conflict and migration as well as worsening ongoing humanitarian crises. In Latin America enduring drought and unsustainable agricultural practices have triggered an unprecedented wave of wildfires. Countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, and Paraguay have witnessed flames consuming vast expanses of forest. The situation in Brazil is particularly alarming, with an 85% increase in fire outbreaks compared to the previous year, reaching a record high of 213,413. This crisis has led to an irreparable loss of biodiversity, contributed to climate change, and displaced numerous Indigenous communities. How do deepening wars and conflicts exacerbate these situations? Peralta: The wars and conflicts that have broken out across the globe – at root, motivated by greed for territories and resources – actually exert tremendous ecological costs. Military operations account for 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions according to some studies, generating more greenhouse gas emissions than many countries combined and contributing to ecocide. Who is most vulnerable? Peralta: Hunger and lost livelihoods have intensified most for women, children, youth, farmers, and Indigenous Peoples as rising global temperatures are accelerating biodiversity loss and land desertification. We have to pay special attention to them. |
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 | | A representative of the Indigenous Educational Network of Turtle Island at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: © Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC |
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Can you explain the meaning of “Triple COPs?” Peralta: The last quarter of 2024 saw the alignment of the three United Nations (UN) conventions that emerged from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, namely: the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and UN Convention to Combat Desertification. These UN conventions address the interconnected triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land desertification which requires global coordination, cooperation, and governance. What’s the biggest concern with the outcomes of the first two COPs? Peralta: Multilateral mechanisms for joint action on urgent issues have increasingly failed to deliver real consensus and commitments. COP29 and COP16 saw growing recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ significant contributions to biodiversity and climate protection, and of high debt levels as a major barrier to climate action. Ultimately, however, both COPs have produced unambitious national action plans and mobilised negligible financial support – a meager $300 billion from rich countries per year till 2035 compared to the $2.4 trillion needed for climate adaptation and loss and damage in income-poor and climate-vulnerable countries. COP29 also missed setting steps to build on the COP28 pledge to transition away from fossil fuels and saw worrisome backsliding in language advancing human rights, especially women’s rights in the context of climate change. |
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 | | At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the World Council of Churches (WCC) advocates for justice-driven climate action. WCC representatives engage with global leaders and faith-based organizations to emphasize the moral imperative of addressing climate change. They call for meaningful climate finance to support vulnerable communities, protection for those most affected by climate impacts, and a swift transition away from fossil fuels. Through interfaith dialogues and collaborative efforts with partners like the ACT Alliance and the Lutheran World Federation, the WCC amplifies a collective voice for climate justice grounded in equity, accountability, and compassion. Photo: © Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC |
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How can we better understand these weak outcomes? Peralta: Let’s look at the intersection of inequality, democracy, and environment. Growing global and national socio-economic inequalities have fuelled social division, nationalist sentiment, and misinformation; undermined trust in democratic ideals and systems; as well as eroded citizens’ support for solidarity actions and measures to protect our only planetary home. Further, the collusion of national, fossil fuel, and other business interests has elevated the role of private finance and market-oriented solutions in addressing environmental challenges, increasing debt and deflecting attention away from the critical need for deep-seated economic transformation and the moral responsibility of historical polluters – wealthy, industrialised countries and segments of society – to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions and to pay for the costs of addressing the ecological breakdown and financing just transitions. How does equity come into play here? Peralta: It’s the thread that links climate, biodiversity, and combating desertification. Equity demands a radical sharing of resources and burdens in line with the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities.” For environmental agreements to be accepted and adhered to by all countries and for environmental actions to be embraced by people, these must emerge from a moral framework that has justice at its heart. Climate and other environmental rules must hold accountable those who are most responsible for the ecological calamity. They must also contribute to poverty reduction, create jobs, and ensure access to basic needs such as water and food while countering growing climate threats. Further, to rebuild trust in multilateral and democratic institutions that promote environmental protection, measures to reduce socio-economic inequalities among and within countries – such as progressive wealth taxation and debt cancellation – are essential. The WCC has always underlined that equity is the path to sustainability.
WCC advocates for creation care and justice at start of triple COP journey (WCC news release, 24 October 2024)
WCC, ACT Alliance, and Lutheran World Federation issue joint call to action for biodiversity (WCC news release, 30 October 2024) Biodiversity COP16: ethical imperatives, Indigenous perspectives—and the work ahead (Feature story, 04 November 2024) COP29 Interfaith Call to Action Interfaith Dialogue on Climate urges action, compassion, and resilience ahead of COP29 (News Release, 07 November 2024) COP29 photo gallery COP29 videos Living Planet Monitor debuts with insights on interconnectedness of people and planet (News Release, 03 December 2024) WCC work at the Triple COPs |
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