WCC news: Toward COP30: Global webinar series to craft interfaith call to action

As the global community prepares for critical climate negotiations at COP30, faith groups worldwide are mobilising their moral voice through a series of strategic webinars organised by the Interfaith Liaison Committee to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The World Council of Churches (WCC), serving as co-chair of the Interfaith Liaison Committee, will lead this interfaith initiative to develop a unified Talanoa Call to Action that bridges spiritual values with climate justice imperatives. 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. Photo: Valter Hugo Muniz/WCC 20 March 2025 "The climate crisis requires an unprecedented collaborative response that transcends individual faith traditions," said Rev. Henrik Grape, WCC senior advisor for Care for Creation, Sustainability, and Climate Justice. "These webinars will help us forge a unified moral voice that speaks to the urgency of climate action while emphasising our shared responsibility to protect the most vulnerable communities." On 27 March, two dedicated sessions on climate finance and climate justice will be held, with speakers including Mariana Paoli from Christian Aid, Dr Maina Vakafua Talia from Tuvalu Environment Ministry, Jocabed Solano from Memoria Indígena, and Harjeet Singh from the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. These discussions will address the critical gaps in climate finance and highlight the moral dimensions of equitable resource distribution. The series will culminate on 7 May with the launch of the Talanoa Interfaith Call to Action, a document representing a unified moral stance from diverse faith traditions ahead of COP30. All webinars will include Spanish interpretation to ensure broader global participation. "Faith communities are uniquely positioned to address both the spiritual and practical dimensions of the climate crisis," said Athena Peralta, director of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development. "By bringing together diverse religious voices, we are demonstrating that environmental stewardship is a shared value that transcends doctrinal differences." The Interfaith Liaison Committee was established during the 19th Conference of the Parties in 2013 as a platform for faith-based organisations engaged with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It works to facilitate dialogue and coordinated advocacy across all pillars of the Paris Agreement: mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, and finance. For registration: Climate finance & climate justice - 27 March, 09:00 CET: Register here Climate finance & climate justice (Interpretación al español) - 27 March, 15:00 CET: Register here Launch of the Talanoa Interfaith Call to Action (Interpretación al español) - 7 May, 15:00 CET: Register here “What will we leave to those coming after us?” – Ecumenical pre-COP30 meeting kicks off in Brazil (News Release, 19 March 2025) Care for creation and climate justice 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