At the 25th anniversary celebration of the Geneva Environment Network, global leaders and advocates gathered to address pressing climate and environmental crises under the theme, “Multilateralism Looking at the Future – Protecting the Environment with Humanity at the Center.”
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.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) joined diplomats, faith-based organizations, and leading experts at a roundtable discussion celebrating Geneva’s legacy in global environmental governance. Organized as part of the Geneva Environment Network's 25th-anniversary series of events, the discussion focused on the vital role of faith-based organizations in tackling the triple planetary climate change crisis, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
At the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), the World Council of Churches (WCC) underscored the importance of evidence-based advocacy in mobilizing faith communities for land and ecosystem restoration.
For the first time, the World Council of Churches (WCC) participates as an accredited organization at the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which takes place from 2 to 13 December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Amid rising global inequality and escalating climate crises, the Ecumenical School on Governance, Economics, and Management for an Economy of Life (GEM School) will convene from 18-29 August 2025 in Seoul, South Korea.
Attending COP29 as a first-timer was an eye-opening experience that reinforced both the urgency of the climate crisis and the power of collective action.
World Council of Churches (WCC) moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm spoke at a conference on racial justice hosted by the Diocese in Europe of the Church of England from 4-7 December.
At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim Kykotis of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, a longstanding participant in COPs as part of the World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation, highlighted the critical role of faith in addressing the climate crisis. He underscored the need for ecological repentance and the pivotal role of youth leadership in advancing climate justice.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) launched the inaugural edition of the Living Planet Monitor (LPM) publication, marking a significant step in addressing the interconnection between land, water, food, and climate justice.
Rev. Dr Semisi Turagavou, president of the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma, attended the recent World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee meeting. He reflected on the unique needs in Fiji, as well as other Pacific islands, and spoke of the inspiration he drew from meeting with the WCC governing body.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) collaborated with interfaith partners at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to amplify faith communities’ moral and ethical advocacy for climate justice. This included participation in the Interfaith Talanoa Dialogue, support for the Interfaith Call to Action, moderating side events, and cohosting press conferences.
The Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) Africa, in collaboration with the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Water Network and Norwegian Church Aid, hosted a hybrid workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, to mark World Toilet Day 2024. The event, themed “Toilets—A Place for Peace,” highlighted sanitation's vital role in promoting health, dignity, and harmony across communities.
At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the World Council of Churches (WCC) interviewed Archbishop Rev. Julio Murray Thompson of the Anglican Communion in Central America, moderator of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development. The conversation explored the WCC’s “Triple COPs” strategy, the commission’s ongoing work, and how faith communities can call for greater collaboration with governments and the private sector to ensure just and effective climate solutions.
During COP29, the World Council of Churches (WCC) interviewed Patricia Mungcal, a young climate advocate and humanitarian leader from the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and a member of the ACT Alliance delegation. Speaking from Baku, Azerbaijan, Mungcal reflected on the challenges faced by frontline communities in disaster-prone regions, the barriers youth face in accessing decision-making spaces, and the hope she finds in collective resistance and solidarity.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) co-hosted two side events addressing the non-economic impacts of climate change. These discussions focused on how climate change affects vulnerable communities worldwide, particularly Indigenous peoples, by disrupting cultural heritage, spiritual practices, and community resilience.
During COP29, the World Council of Churches (WCC) interviewed Pastor Eugenio Albrecht from Argentina, communications officer for the Evangelical Church of the River Plate and a Lutheran World Federation Latin America Communications Network member. Albrecht reflected on his first COP experience, shared insights on Latin America's challenges, and emphasized the importance of diakonal faith in fostering hope and action for climate justice.
The World Council of Churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches, Lutheran World Federation, World Methodist Council, and Council for World Mission signed a letter to G20 leaders that embraces the theme of the 2024 G20 Leaders’ Summit, “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet.”
At COP29, religious leaders are emphasizing the need to care for the creation that God made, and to safeguard the most vulnerable who have contributed the least to climate change—yet face its worst impacts.
During the busy environment of COP29, Wara Iris, a young Indigenous leader from Bolivia’s Aymara community, shared her reflections on the vital role of Indigenous people in the climate justice movement. Speaking from a perspective shaped deeply by her heritage and faith, she discussed the commitment that drives her advocacy and the powerful hope that sustains her work.
