Uniting Faith and Action at COP28: Faith leaders gather at Christ Church Jebel Ali in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to take stock of current progress, hopes and calls for action as this year's climate conference begins.
30 November 2023, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Carine Josiéle Wendland, a Lutheran World Federation delegate from the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil speaks as people gather for a so-called Talanoa dialogue at the (Anglican) Christ Church Jebel Ali in Dubai, in connection with the United Nations climate summit COP28. Photo: LWF/Albin Hillert
Talanoa dialogue brings faith communities together as COP28 opens
(LWI) - For five years running, Talanoa dialogue and interfaith services have been a hallmark of faith-based engagement at the United Nations climate summits. On 30 November, faith leaders gathered at Christ Church Jebel Ali in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to take stock of current progress, hopes and calls for action at this year’s iteration of the Conference of the Parties (COP).
The event took as its starting point a dialogue methodology originally from Fiji designed to cater for inclusive, participatory and transparent conversations, and brought together ecumenical and interfaith partners from Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and Brahma Kumaris communities, young and old, lay and ordained – all convened by the Interfaith Liaison Committee to UNFCCC, and co-sponsored by a group of faith-based organizations including the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
Held at Expo City in Dubai, COP28 is expected to bring together more than 70,000 people from around the globe for climate negotiations, where governments will be urged to accelerate ambition to address the global climate emergency.
As described by the COP presidency, the conference should both provide the first-ever "global stocktake" – a review of current climate commitments and how they are or are not helping the world meet the goals set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement – and agree on a clear roadmap for adopting measures to ensure that the goals can still be met within the required timeframe.
30 November 2023, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: People begin to gather at Expo City in Dubai, venue for COP28, the United Nations climate summit 2023. Photo: LWF/Albin Hillert
LWF delegate speaks on ‘hope for our common home’
The LWF delegation — this year comprised of over 60 people coming from 29 member churches in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and North America — attend COP both in-person and online, facilitating the full participation of youth in climate change-related decision-making, including enabling them to provide solutions.
Carine Josiéle Wendland, an LWF delegate from the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil spoke at the opening panel of the Talanoa, reflecting on the intergenerational dimensions of the climate emergency, and the role faith communities have to play in addressing the situation.
“At this COP28, as young people, we call on all governments and other stakeholders to do all they can to ensure that young people are included in all climate policies and actions. Opportunities and processes must be put in place to build capacity and enable young people to participate and contribute in a meaningful way,” Wendland said.
30 November 2023, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Carine Josiéle Wendland, a Lutheran World Federation delegate from the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil speaks as people gather for a so-called Talanoa dialogue at the (Anglican) Christ Church Jebel Ali in Dubai, in connection with the United Nations climate summit COP28. Photo: LWF/Albin Hillert
“There is much to do at this COP28 and time is limited, but as youth and faith-based organizations, we are also here with hope, with faith that we can still take care of our common home,” she added.
Looking ahead at the fortnight of negotiations and the role faith communities can play, general secretary of the World Council of Churches Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay spoke to the need to call for “a profound and rapid change of heart: From a self-centered and anthropocentric narrative to an understanding that we are all deeply interconnected in the web of life.”
“At COP28, we need to spread a gospel of hope and action,” Pillay added.
30 November 2023, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay speaks as people gather for a so-called Talanoa dialogue at the (Anglican) Christ Church Jebel Ali in Dubai, in connection with the United Nations climate summit COP28. Photo: LWF/Albin Hillert
As the event drew to a close, Haposan Cornelius Sinaga of the Protestant Christian Batak Church (HKBP), an LWF delegate from the Batak community in North Sumatra, reflected on the current realities of indigenous peoples – one of a range of focus areas of the Talanoa evening’s conversations.
“I hope as a young indigenous person that governments, companies, and churches themselves could involve and respect the value of indigenous peoples. We are not being heard, so we need to mobilize faith-based groups, we cannot do this alone. We must work together,” he said.
The LWF participates in the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), which takes place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 Nov - 12 Dec 2023. This engagement is part of the communion’s ongoing focus on strengthening climate action and advocacy at all levels. Young people are vital agents of change and form a greater part of the LWF’s delegation to COP28.
