WCC news: WCC leads climate justice workshops at ECEN Assembly

The World Council of Churches (WCC) led workshops at the Assembly of the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) in Brussels, Belgium, held from 29 August to 2 September. The sessions focused on the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action (2025–2034) — the WCC's ten-year commitment, launched in 2025.  Photo: ECEN 03 September 2026 Rev. Henrik Grape, WCC senior advisor for Care for Creation, Sustainability, and Climate Justice, asked around 50 participants from churches across Europe what the decade should mean in their own parishes and countries. Grape said: “European churches and faith communities have a long history of acting for climate justice, and today this is more urgent than ever before. The wildfires, droughts, and heatwaves, and the resulting excess mortality across the continent in recent months, have made it clear that we are in a very serious situation. The inertia to act, and the way these events are being reported without any connection to climate change, leave churches with a responsibility to step forward – to be prophetic when being prophetic means speaking truth to power. I hope that we will see European churches taking a strong profile in the Decade of Climate Justice.” ECEN began within the Conference of European Churches (CEC), a platform for European churches on environmental issues. Now freestanding, it pursues the same goals alongside the WCC's climate justice programme. This was its first assembly under that structure, held at the Franciscan Training Centre, Maison Notre-Dame du Chant d'Oiseau. During the workshops, participants called for rooting the decade in congregations through theological reflection and shared stories of climate impacts worldwide, alongside practical guidance for congregations and individuals and closer cooperation with civil society partners, including advocacy toward EU institutions. Some participants also raised concern that certain European churches are stepping back from climate action, as growing military spending pushes the ecological agenda into the background. Against this backdrop, participants named a guiding theme for the decade: “Peace on Earth and Peace with Earth.”  The assembly concluded as the global church enters the Season of Creation (1 September–4 October), this year themed “Living Water.” Season of Creation 2026: Living Water  Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action At European Christian Environmental Network Assembly, Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata reflects on climate justice (News Release, 1 September 2023) 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 356 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