Faith based organisations including ACT Alliance were able to send a few members as delegates to COP27, the annual UN climate conference, held this year in Egypt. But many more ACT members followed the negotiations from a distance, through Twitter, e mail, What’s App and other channels including ACT News. They supported the negotiations in many ways; by following, reading, sharing FBO’s news and tweets, through advocacy and through prayer. This story illustrates how one thwarted COP27 delegate ended up in two other countries prayerfully supporting both the COP27 and COP28 negotiations.

Bishop Philip Huggins 

On good days and on perplexing days, say one’s mantra and follow the light. In recent days, I have had an unexpected experience of divine providence and presence. This has been whilst saying my mantra, ‘Jesus have mercy’, and following where the light seems to lead! It seems an experience both personal but also evidencing the yearning of our humble God for the well-being of all living beings, now and future. That is a big statement but here is the explanation. 

After having devoted my energies to helping COP27 as best I could, at the last minute I and many others were prevented from attending.  Our hotels cancelled our accommodation (already paid for and confirmed), then gave these rooms to those able and willing to pay highly inflated prices. For me, in Australia, there was no time to know if anything would be available, let alone what might be the profiteering price. Some people I subsequently spoke to paid quadrupled prices. 

So it goes. As Fr. Laurence Freeman reminded us later in the week, St. Ignatius of Loyola had a fifteen-minute rule for dealing with disappointments and opposition. “It would take me fifteen minutes to compose myself. Then I’d carry on,” he apparently said.  So, what happened next? 

Ceremony relocated to London

Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein and those organising the “Return to Mt Sinai” Ceremony in Egypt also had difficulties. With little time, they somehow moved the Ceremony from Mt Sinai to London. I was invited to join them and composed myself during a long flight, although not quite in St. Ignatius time frame! Rabbi Alon had many experiences of bounteous providence and many sleepless nights. Miraculously, he brought our small group together in London on the same day we had expected to be in St Katherine’s monastery on Mt Sinai! Rabbi Alon is one of those energetic souls upon whom progress depends.

The hospitality and enthusiasm of the Jewish community in London also made this possible. As an aside, being in the Jewish community in North London made me vividly aware of the consequences of antisemitism. Even today, the entrance to some synagogues do not convey whose spiritual home this is, for fear of attacks. Other places have security guards at the gates. Being in that community on the Friday and Saturday of Shabbat, also reminded me of the resilient strength and beauty of Jewish faith and culture.  

Ten principles of climate repentance

For three days, our small interfaith group worked on ‘Ten Principles of Climate Repentance’, echoing Moses’ encounter with the divine on Mt Sinai. We hope this will be of enduring benefit. We were very mindful, as we worked, of those engaged in demanding negotiations at COP27. Late on the following Sunday, led by Archbishop Rowan Williams, we walked up Parliament Hill in London, chanting as we went, each taking a turn. Then we read the Ten Principles that we pray will bring more heartfelt commitments to help prevent further catastrophic climate events. Our prayers were and are with those implementing the agenda of COP27 and COP28 next year in Dubai. We pray that this all happens before time runs out. We pray the containment of global warming to the target 1.5 degrees is achieved.  As the Ten Principles were read, with silence between each, the crowd that had gathered (and some just happened to be on the hill for recreation) entered into the poignancy and solemnity of the occasion.  

At the end there was a deep bond of friendship between us all. Discerning, each from our traditions, the wisdom that might help in this time of crisis drew us all closer. More cooperative activity is planned.  For me, this was another experience of the unified and unifying consciousness that we share. Contemplative souls and little children intuit this. My reflection is that God is drawing us ever deeper into cooperation because of God’s love for all living beings. One experience of divine providence and presence therefore leads to the next. An apparent dead-end turns into a new possibility that is life-giving. 

The famous hymn of John Henry Newman, so loved by Mahatma Gandhi, seems like our song afresh: “Lead kindly light, one step ahead for me.” The invitation to London then led into an invitation to join a retreat at the Bonnevaux Centre for the World Community of Christian Meditation in France. This was an opportunity to prayerfully support those at COP27, much as I had planned to do anyway. That prayerful support, as ever, merged with what solidarity in advocacy was and is possible, notably the faith leaders’ urgent call for increased ambition as COP27 drew to an end.

‘Silence is the deepest form of conversation’

Looking ahead, the theme of the Bonnevaux retreat speaks further into our direction. Fr. Lawrence Freeman explored the importance of contemplation in the shaping of truly civilising conversations. I was able to share a little of our work, both with Fr. Laurence and with young seeker Oliver from England. Oliver liked our book on Forgiveness and sent it on a journey that now includes young meditators in Brazil who are convened by Tayna Malaspina, WCCM Director of Meditation for Young People. Tayna  also makes olive oil. She carries her fondness for St. Francis and St. Clare into both her labelling and her meditative life. Those of us who meditate know, as Fr. Laurence said “silence is the deepest form of conversation.”  Within that is “the silent music of God,” in the beautiful phrase of St. John of the Cross. Equipped by grace and by sustained practice, the interior silence we acquire through meditation helps us to listen well and enter into conversations with a better awareness of our own motives and projections. 

Always there remains the necessity to make the choice of words and actions which are the truest, kindest and most beautiful. My unexpected days were a renewal in this ‘wisdom for the common good’! 

Bishop Philip Huggins is the director of Ecumenical Studies at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture.

By Mattias Söderberg

This year’s climate summit, COP27, is now over. As in the past, it was a complicated meeting. Participating countries had to prolong the negotiations by more than a day before a final agreement was reached. Where do we stand now, and has the summit made a difference to our climate? 

One good result 

Using a positive lens, COP27 ended with a good result. In fact, a historic good result. This was the year when countries from all over the world finally agreed to provide financial assistance to people and countries facing climate-related loss and damage after 30 years of discussion. 

With this agreement, the world community recognises that climate change is a threat, and that we must work together to address the consequences of climate related events and disasters. This recognition is an important step forward, as the debate over the past 30 years has been filled with mistrust and disappointment. The decision to establish a fund to address climate-induced loss and damage offers hope. It can enable support for communities affected by, for example, floods and lasting droughts. 

It has taken this long to reach this agreement because it acknowledges that climate-related disasters, and the associated loss and damage, are a shared responsibility. This means that large polluters will face a big bill. Researchers point out that future climate disasters may be substantial enough to cause entire countries to disappear. As a result, the amount of the bill is difficult to comprehend. For this reason, the agreement is not that concrete when it comes to who must pay for climate-related loss and damage. 

It will probably take some time before the fund begins to have a real effect, as the parties must establish the details. There is no doubt, however, that it is still a good result and that it is a clear signal to developing countries that they are not alone. 

The bad results 

Unfortunately, there is not much else that was positive about COP27. The summit did not improve our ability to find solutions to the rapidly growing climate crisis, and both commitments to and decisions about action and money are missing. 

A major challenge is that global warming is rapidly passing the 1.5 C degrees that scientists have identified as crucial to keep the consequences of climate change at a reasonable level. When the temperature rises by more than 1.5 C degrees, we risk passing “tipping points” where, for example, the Amazon or the Russian tundra are affected. This will cause changes to the climate that could have major consequences that cannot be rolled back. 

Precisely for this reason, it is deeply disappointing that the countries could not agree that fossil fuels must be phased out or agree that the countries’ climate plans must be updated so that the 1.5-degree target can be realistically achieved. 

The low level of ambition when it comes to reducing emissions is directly linked to another disappointing result. During the negotiations, the oil-producing developing countries did not want concrete agreements on a green transition as it will have a direct effect on their economies and opportunities for growth. 

These countries know that there is a need to focus on green transition in the long run, but they find it difficult to see how their economies will have the opportunity to keep growing if their income from oil disappears. A UN decision that oil must be phased out could, for example, affect the countries’ opportunities to attract investment and thus their development opportunities. 

It is a fair concern, and that is exactly why cooperation on the green transition is so important. How can oil-producing countries be helped to find new development opportunities? And how can opportunities for green growth be created? There is a need for cooperation and investment. Therefore, it is a great disappointment that there were no additional concrete agreements about financial flows or climate finance at COP27. 

The ups and the downs 

Looking at the COP27 results it’s clear there is still a long way to go before we find a way to deal with the climate crisis. Yet with the agreement on loss and damage, we can see that international diplomacy can have an effect and that the long and difficult UN negotiations can deliver results. 

Next year, countries will meet again at COP28 – this time in Dubai. Time is running out, and all the countries in the world need to be convinced that now is the time to step up and improve their climate ambition. So now we must scale up our push and call for climate justice! I hope our governments will listen as we continue our call for action this coming year. 

Mattias Söderberg of DanChurchAid is co-chair of the ACT Alliance Climate Justice Reference Group.

Dr. Ahmad Safi 

Climate change is real. As I write this, it is happening at faster than expected rates. The negative impacts of climate change prompts hundreds of governments and heads of state to participate in the annual UNFCCC Conference of Parties; most recently COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.  

Palestine has contributed almost nothing to climate change as Palestinians’ greenhouse gas emissions are minimal compared to those of others. Yet Palestine suffers from disproportionate impacts of climate change. According to the Palestinian National Action Plan, Palestinian lands can expect a temperature increase between 3 and 4.5 C° by 2050. Precipitation is also expected to decrease significantly and exacerbate the existing water shortage, especially in the Gaza Strip. 

The Gaza Strip has suffered from a severe and worsening water crisis for decades, as the enclave is dependent on a coastal aquifer as its sole source of fresh water. High extraction levels have resulted in major deficits in the groundwater balance, leading to the possible collapse of the aquifer as a water source. The accelerating decrease of the coastal aquifer water level has also resulted in the deterioration of the quality of the groundwater. Seawater now intrudes from the Mediterranean Sea.  

Increasing farmers’ resilience and food security 

Water shortages and water quality deterioration result in diminished crop production and diversity, which in turn increases farmers’ vulnerability. Weather variability and extreme events damage crops and push farmers into bankruptcy. Combined with unpredictable market conditions, this makes Gaza Strip farming a very risky business. As a result, many farmers are abandoning their livelihoods, increasing food insecurity in the Gaza Strip. 

ACT Alliance member Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe has been working to enhance the resilience of the most at-risk communities and farmers in the Gaza Strip for many years. With our local partner organization, the Association for Agricultural Development (PARC), Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe  has been working with 17 of the most vulnerable communities using the community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) approach. Communities establish their own Local Protection Committees that are engaged in the full project management cycle, beginning with risk and needs assessments through to project design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.  

Rainwater-harvesting ponds and low-cost technology 

Building on local knowledge, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and PARC have established hundreds of rainwater-harvesting ponds. These range from individual farmer’s ponds and group ponds to communal ponds. They provide farmers with high quality water which meets a significant portion of their irrigation needs and allows them to enhance crop productivity and diversity. In addition, rainwater-harvesting ponds increase farmers’ resilience to frequent power cuts and have decreased flash floods in some of the targeted communities.  

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and PARC have also provided hundreds of Gaza Strip farmers with low farming tunnels, a low-cost technology that enables them to cultivate more crops. This also allows them more control on cultivation timing and more resilience to weather variability. With low farming tunnels farmers can use mesh or plastic sheeting to protect their crops from the spring heat and the autumn cold.  Low farming tunnels increase productivity, crop diversity and give more control to farmers.  

Dr. Ahmad Safi, an ACT COP27 Delegate, is the convener of the ACT Palestine Forum and a member of the ACT MENA Climate Justice CoP. He is the Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe Representative for Gaza/Palestine, based in Amman, Jordan. He has a PHD in environmental science and years of experience in disaster risk reduction, environmental action, humanitarian aid, programme management and research and writing. 

Romario Dohmann, ecological coordinator for ACT member Hora de Obrar of Argentina attended the first week of COP27 as an ACT Alliance delegate. In an interview with ACT intern Pablo Sagrado Martin, he described Hora de Obrar’s ecological project the Pastoral Promotion for Care of Creation and the importance of local action addressing climate change.  

The project, which ran from 2016 until 2019, worked with selected communities in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. It used theological reflection to encourage communities of faith to care for our common home, Earth, through innovations such as organic growing practices and fair trade.  

A changing climate 

“Local communities are experiencing the effects of climate change in their own flesh,” says Romario.  There have been deep droughts in the southern cone over the last few years. The region’s large rivers have historic low water levels, and there is a water crisis. In summer wildfires affect forests and fields.  

“Some communities have had to adapt by changing their planting dates,” says Romario. “But we have also seen that when we increase trees and use alternative agricultural production methods there is more resilience to the changing climate.” 

Encourages alternatives 

“The project developed to encourage alternatives to growing monocultures such as soy and depending on extractives for income,” says Romario. Such practices can damage soil and water and interfere with the production of nutritious food for local communities. “This met with resistance, as many local agricultural producers were exclusively dedicated to monocultures,” he says. 

The project turned to theology to involve the communities, referencing ecotheology and ecological church policy. “We offered biblical reflection on the care of creation and how it could help communities live better,” says Romario. [They also developed materials for use in catechesis with children and in theological reflection with adults.] 

Community members visited others that practice alternative agroecological production. “This helped people feel more comfortable working with agricultural technicians as they transitioned to a more sustainable type of agriculture,” says Romario. 

The websites of both Hora de Obrar and the Evangelical Church of Rio de la Plata offer supportive material.   

Results include Commission for the Care of Creation 

The Commission for the Care of Creation grew out of the project and includes members from different districts, in particular women. “Seventy percent of the members of the Commission are women. They also make up 95 percent of those who educate communities,” says Romario.  
They are also the ones who are most active in workshops about healthy eating and the impact of environmental issues on health. 

“Communities can now assess how they produce food. The goal is universal access to healthy food through fair trade, based on theological and ethical perspectives,” says Romario. 

“We were able to generate and accompany changes in environmental public policies in Misiones. A government platform of organic production was formed, with the mission to accompany producers who deliver healthy food,” says Romario of the Commission.  “The role of civil society is sometimes to be where the state cannot be present and promote these types of initiatives.” 

To COP27 decision makers: local solutions offer hope 

“Local communities are engaged in concrete actions that may not have a big impact globally,” says Romario, “but are essential for them, as they are coming up with solutions.”  Recently, money from the Green Climate Fund has arrived in Argentina. In Misiones, Romario’s region in northern Argentina, the funds are earmarked for recovery from fires, water shortages, for emergency funds, early warning systems and to improve water access for rural populations.  

“Highlighting local actions offers hope,” says Romario. “The communities want to communicate the message of hope. They are achieving important things and know that improvements are possible.” 

“They have a message of hope, but decisions must be made now, there is no time to spare.” 

Pablo Sagrado Martin is an ACT intern based in ACT’s Brussels office.