Ahead of COP30, faith actors gathered in Brasilia, Brazil, to prepare advocacy action for the UN climate summit. Photo: WCC
Delegates develop advocacy strategies and present Call to Action
(LWI) – To foster cooperation for climate justice among faith-based actors and to train leaders in essential advocacy skills, approximately fifty delegates gathered for a preparatory meeting in the Brazilian capital Brasilia, from 18 to 20 March.
Organized by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), World Council of Churches (WCC), Caritas international, ACT Alliance, Christian Aid, Anglican Alliance, Anglican Communion Office at the UN, National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), and Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM), the event sought to amplify the voices of vulnerable communities and promote solutions encompassing environmental justice, equity, and human rights.
Lutheran delegates to the preparatory meeting on the road to COP30. Photo: WCC
The Brazilian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, addressing the meeting. Photo: WCC
On the last day of the meeting, they presented “A Call to Action on the Road to COP30” to the Brazilian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva. The largest global event for discussions and negotiations on climate change will take place in Belém, near the Amazon River in northern Brazil, from 10 to 21 November.
Effects of climate change in the LAC region
The preparatory meeting brought together representatives from churches, faith-based organizations, indigenous groups, youth, and social movements from Latin America and the Caribbean at the Anglican Cathedral of Brasilia, a symbol of religious diversity and ecumenical dialogue in the country.
Delegates developed key advocacy messages and a strategic roadmap for the COP30 climate summit. Panels, dialogues, group work, and calls to action formed part of the program.
The first panel, “The Impacts of Climate Change,” featured Bishop Guadalupe Cortéz from the Salvadoran Lutheran Church and Carine Wendland from the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB), who is also a member of LWF’s Forum for Climate Justice in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
Bishop Guadalupe Cortéz from the Salvadoran Lutheran Church praying for the Brazilian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva. Photo: WCC
Climate change not only causes material losses but also serious impacts on mental health, such as anxiety and depression.
Bishop Guadalupe Cortéz, Salvadoran Lutheran Church
Bishop Cortéz highlighted the mental health effects and non-economic losses due to climate change, calling for greater visibility of these issues in humanitarian and political spaces. Wendland emphasized the varied experiences of youth in Brazil and the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, noting the high poverty rates among young people and their vulnerability to climate change. She also stressed the importance of involving youth in faith and climate action initiatives.
On the road to COP30
Presenting “A Call to Action on the Road to COP30” to Marina Silva, Brazilian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, was a significant step taken by the faith-based leaders.
Silva herself was born in the Amazon region and has been an engaged environmentalist and politician for decades.
The Call to Action addressed the climate emergency and irreversible consequences of climate change, emphasizing the destruction of sacred territories and ecosystems due to large-scale agriculture, mining, and fossil fuel extraction.
The document criticized the pursuit of capital accumulation at the expense of environmental and human rights defenders, who faced increasing persecution. It called for urgent government action on climate finance, the Loss and Damage Fund, and a just transition away from fossil fuels. The message stressed the need for commitments at COP30 to transition to renewable energy, phase out fossil fuel subsidies, and support sustainable development.
The document highlighted the resilience and creativity of Latin American and Caribbean communities in adapting to climate impacts and called for prioritizing the voices of those most affected by the climate crisis.
