By Dr. Marianna Leite

Today is Friday the 11th of November and we are reaching the end of the first week of COP27.  By now, most people are overwhelmed with news about the Summit taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh but also rather curious about what is happening and what will ultimately be its outcome. Based on my experience as one of the co-coordinators of the ACT Alliance delegation to COP27, I’d like to give a flavour of what it’s like to be a participant and what lies ahead of us. 

Checking in and checking out 

ACT has a diverse, gender-equal and regionally balance delegation for COP27. We are part of a wider ecumenical delegation which we co-lead jointly with the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation. We have an ’insider’ and ’ousider’ track of delegates that help us strategise internally from the venue and online from elsewhere. This means that we have quite strong cohort of people that share the same values and drive for climate justice. 

Everyday we meet to look at the official agenda according to themes/expertise as well as the side events, actions and related activities. We divide the responsibilities amongst ourselves and then report back on the main achievements and points of tension at the end of the day.  

Dividing and Conquering 

Instead of following the same events and activities, we try to ‘divide and conquer’. We connect with the different like-minded groups and support those that are part of negotiations.  

This does not come without challenges. The Wi-Fi in the venue is patchy making the connection with our fellow online delegates difficult and, at times, frustrating. The venue is huge and its layout is not exactly intuitive, meaning that many of us spend a lot of time looking for rooms and often getting lost. 

Getting basic things done like eating and going to the bathroom is a challenge. There are huge lines everywhere, limited options and, well, a general sense of disorientation.  

The silver lining 

This is not an easy space or context to operate in but, in a way, the massive civil society mobilisation can be seen as the silver lining. Like other groups, ACT has organised media ’stunts’ calling attention to our asks and the asks of those missing voices at COP27. In one of those stunts we acted out detectives looking for missing loss and damage financing. I never fail to be impressed and inspired by the energy and passion brought by the different ACT delegates and partners. Their successes in driving transformative and structural messaging, their relentless work and unwavering dedication to climate justice demonstrates that ’united we can and will overcome this massive crisis’. 

The (steep) road ahead 

What’s next? Well, we are still looking for the missing climate finance! Many countries have announced pledges which, although encouraging from a political perspective, are not anywhere near the level of finance needed to address the current challenges.

Stay posted for outcomes after week two at COP27.

Dr. Marianna Leite is ACT Alliance’s Global Advocacy and Development Policy Manager. She attended the first week of COP27 in Egypt. Stay posted for more reporting on outcomes following week two.    PHOTO: Dr. Marianna Leite.          

Media Release 

Ecumenical partners’ COP27 side event on adaptation finance 

Join ecumenical partners for this COP27 side event on the urgent need for climate finance to reach vulnerable communities now and in the future. Delivering the promise: how to ensure future adaptation needs are addressed will explore what is needed to transition the global finance system to meet these communities’ needs.  

Delivering the promise: how to ensure future adaptation needs are addressed 

Date: Friday, 11 Nov 2022. 11:30-13:00 CAT (UTC+2) 

Location at COP27: Tutankhamun Room.   

Online link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdg4Fk6cSHs 

Moderator: Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, ACT Goodwill Ambassador Climate Justice  

Speakers: 

Maureen Goodman, Brahma Kumaris UK 

Maro Maua, LWF COP27 delegate 

Patricia Nyinguro, IPCC Focal Point, Kenya 

Kebal Bhandari, National Planning Commission, Nepal 

Jocabed Solano, Theologian and activist, Gunadale Nation, Panama 

Rev. Dr. Lesmore Ezekiel, All Africa Conference of Churches 

By Emma Berglund, Lauri Heikkinen, Patricia Mungcal 

Young people have long been a driving force behind social change for a better world, with every generation owing much to those who came before. Today, climate change represents the most momentous challenge of our age.  

The concept of climate justice, an equitable sharing of the burden caused by a changing climate, is a crucial part of the way forward as we try to navigate our way through a changing climate. Emissions per capita in the Global South represent a fraction of those of the Global North. Those who have polluted the most are exacerbating the problems felt in parts of the world less able to respond to those problems. 

Extreme weather events are more and more frequent and ever larger swathes of the world are at risk of becoming uninhabitable. By 2050, an estimated 216 million people are expected to be displaced due to climate change, according to the World Bank. (https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/09/13/climate-change-could-force-216-million-people-to-migrate-within-their-own-countries-by-2050) 

Young people are living their lives and building their futures in an environment of increasing uncertainty and risk, contemplating a world of hazards and even the existential risk posed by the climate crisis. This must come with proper representation in places where consequential decisions are made, including COP27.   

While young people may, for the moment, lack experience and technical expertise, we have a wealth of knowledge and lived experience. We know how our lives and those of our peers around the world are affected by climate change.  We can offer fresh ideas on how to tackle the climate crisis, and think beyond traditional political and economic constraints. Those who will live with the consequences of decisions made today should be heard in earnest. 

It would be a mistake to claim that young people have fallen into the trap of inaction in the face of exclusion. All across the world, young people have ingenious and inspiring ways of fighting back in the face of a challenge that is truly momentous. But young people are tired of having to justify the importance of being heard when their future is being discussed. What should be self-evident is instead cause for campaigning, even in the face of ever more targets being missed and pledges forgotten. This cannot be. The presence of young people and those who come after us must be built into institutional mechanisms instead of being seen as a mere afterthought or a convenient photo opportunity. 

As the ACT Alliance Youth CoP, we feel that the role of young faith actors and leaders in driving change cannot be overstated. Our power to mobilise communities must be recognized and put to good use in the fight against climate change. The traditions we represent can contribute meaningful moral, economic, spiritual and social substance to public debates and deliberations.   

Faith leaders also have a crucial role to play in taking action. We must use our platform and leverage to educate and advocate for climate justice. We must now face up to what we have lost and will continue to lose, while making the best of a bad situation. Climate finance that properly accounts for loss and damage is urgently needed. 

“I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.” (Jeremiah 2:7) 

If we are truly the custodians of this planet, we must step up and assume our role and all that it entails. Creation is not for us to lay waste to. Change is possible, but can only happen through action. 

In the spirit of taking action, the Youth CoP has launched the Climate Caravan, aimed at highlighting stories of hope from young people, both in the Global North and South. Fear is understandable, but it is important to channel that fear into something concrete.  

Emma Berglund, Lauri Heikkinen and Patricia Mungcal, co-chairs of ACT’s Youth Community of Practice (CoP) wrote this article. Follow their COP27 activities on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACTYouthcop 

By Niko Humalisto

In political speeches, climate change is portrayed as an urgent existential threat, one that leaders are working on. In reality, emissions have rebounded following the end of COVID-19 slowdowns, most of the world’s vulnerable communities have not received any support for adaptation, and the victims of climate-induced loss and damage are still without compensation. 

ACT welcomes the negotiations at COP27 in Egypt that are oriented to ‘practical implementation.’ Limiting climate change below 1.5 Celsius and respecting human rights requires transformational change, and that comes with a price tag. Practical implementation cannot be discussed without touching on the issue of climate finance. 

Finance for whom? 

The first urgent issue concerns financial flows. According to the Paris Agreement, all financial flows should go towards solving the climate crisis. But many countries still have a plethora of subsidies for fossil fuels. Any investment in renewables is still overshadowed by those in fossil fuels. 

Most financial investments in climate action take place in developed countries and the growth hubs of Asia. But creating opportunities for developing countries to access financial flows is important. To do that we must map potential sources of innovative climate action finance. 

Honour existing commitments 

Secondly, along with market-based solutions, parties need to honour existing funding commitments. The pledge by rich countries to mobilise USD 100 billion for climate action in developing countries by 2020 has not been met. Unfortunately, the bulk of this financing comes in the form of loans, not grants.  

Turning climate change into a business opportunity is lucrative for donors but has resulted in an unjust state of affairs. Marginalised communities and those living in poverty bear the brunt of climate change impacts, and they have not received support. Donors also favour mitigation, which leaves the world’s most impoverished communities more vulnerable to climate change. The promise made at Glasgow’s COP26 to double the money for climate change adaptation needs practical implementation, and soon. 

A new collective quantified goal should be negotiated before the USD 100 billion climate finance pledge comes to an end in 2025. This goal should be based on the real needs of the most vulnerable. As well, the foundational flaws of the previous goal, including vague definitions and transparency issues, should be sorted out. 

As pressure grows, should polluters pay? 

Finally, the pressure to provide loss and damage finance has increased tremendously. Science is unequivocal on the matter. Due to sluggish progress in curbing emissions, loss and damage increases as human and natural systems reach their adaptation limits. 

Negotiating loss and damage compensation touches upon the controversial issue of compensatory climate justice. Should polluters pay for the economic and other kinds of losses that climate change brings about? The crux of the matter is that the international community needs to find ways to provide financial support for marginalised and impoverished communities who endure the calamities of the climate crisis.  

A solid starting point for goal-oriented discussions would be that climate change has daily negative consequences for vulnerable communities and that existing financial arrangements cannot tackle the scope and urgency of their needs. New and additional resources are needed to avoid growing inequalities and to respect human rights.   

Niko Humalisto co-chairs the climate advocacy group of ACT Alliance. He is a docent of social geography and leading advocacy specialist at Felm in Finland.The trail of his thoughts on circular economy and climate policy can be found from Research Gate (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Niko-Humalisto-2).

November 8 2022

Climate finance skit at COP27: Join the wedding between climate finance and political will for Loss & Damage

Join ACT Alliance, Christian Aid and members of other faith-based organisations for a skit with visuals that will show the marriage of climate finance and political will for Loss and Damage.  The wedding will be symbolic of the need for strong action on Loss and Damage at this COP, including new and additional finance. It will further show the issues that many developing nations have with: 

•  the current climate finance situation,  
• the need for transparent and accountable financing, and 
• an increased share of existing climate finance for loss and damage. 

When: Wednesday, Nov 9 at 13h30 (Cairo time)

Where: The courtyard just past the COP blue zone entrance

Interviews can be made available with:

• Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, Special Envoy for Climate Justice ACT Alliance 
• Mariana Paoli, Global Advocacy Lead, Christian Aid

MEDIA CONTACT:
Simon Chambers, ACT Alliance, WhatsApp: +1-416-435-0972 or simon.chambers@actalliance.org

7 November 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY

What do faith leaders want from world leaders for climate justice?

As the World Leaders’ Summit concludes, faith leaders are sharing their calls to the world leaders for increased action to achieve climate justice and help keep global temperature rise to under 1.5C.  Faith leaders representing a variety of faiths (Christian, Sikh, Bram Kumaris, and others) bring the experiences of communities on the front lines of the climate emergency, they bring a moral dimension to the debate, and they also bring technical expertise through their engagement in combatting climate change and in climate justice advocacy.

85% of the world’s population ascribe to a faith tradition, and faith communities are part of all communities in the world.  They work as part of these communities together with local leaders and communities to address the impacts of climate change.  The Interfaith Liaison Committee brings together faith constituencies working to achieve climate justice to raise their voices together and share their stories from their traditions and experiences around the world.

What: Calls from faith leaders from around the world for concrete action at COP27 towards achieving climate justice for the most vulnerable, and sharing stories of the impacts of climate change in communities around the world.

Who: Prof. Dr. Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, ACT Alliance Special Envoy for Climate Justice and Lutheran Pastor (Germany)
Archbishop Samy Shehata, Anglican Primate of Alexandria
Mr. Harjeet Singh, Head of Global Political Strategy, Climate Action Network
Mr. Nobuyuki Asai, Executive Director, Soka Gakkai Peace Committee

Ms. Valériane Bernard, Brahma Kumaris representative to the United Nations, Geneva- Moderator

Where: Press conference room (Luxor) and online

When: Tuesday, November 8, 2022 15h00-15h30

Why: Faith communities bring concrete experiences of the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable people, including women and girls in all their diversity and people on the move, who have done the least to cause climate change and are facing the brunt of its impacts. Faith groups are on the front lines, responding to climate change through mitigation, disaster risk reduction, adaptation, and more.

# # # # #

MEDIA CONTACT
Simon Chambers WhatsApp: +1-416-435-0972, simon.chambers@actalliance.org
Director of Communications, ACT Alliance

By Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, ACT Alliance Goodwill Ambassador for Climate Justice

COP27, the UN climate conference, begins November 6 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Known as the “African COP,” it is a chance for negotiators and countries to follow through on the major commitments they have made at past COPs. Those include maintaining global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius and releasing desperately needed financing from developed countries to the most vulnerable populations in the world.  

Members of the ACT Alliance, a global network of churches and agencies who work with vulnerable communities in humanitarian response, development and advocacy work, will be at COP, as they have been for several years. They will follow the negotiations, speak to their own country’s negotiators about climate justice, and host events to draw media attention to urgent climate justice issues.  

Climate justice 

What is climate justice? For ACT members, who belong to grassroots communities around the world through their churches, climate justice is an issue of global equity rooted in faith. “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. . . .” says Matthew (7:12), and “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37–39). These sentiments are common to many faiths, and indeed, ACT works with other faiths and with civil society organisations to promote climate justice. 

Justice in this case recognises that those most affected by a changing climate are among the most vulnerable countries and peoples – especially women and Indigenous – in the world. They have contributed the least to climate change but have already lost and continue to lose trillions of dollars because of it. They are being pushed ever deeper into poverty. Yet the developed nations of the western world have created most climate change emissions during the previous three centuries of their industrialisation. Climate justice recognises this disparity in cause and effect and works to redress the imbalance. 

Finance 

A major focus of ACT Alliance and its members at COP27 will be to secure adequate climate finance for vulnerable nations and their people. We want the wealthier developed nations to commit to adequate financing for adaptation and especially for loss and damage. We want to ensure that these funds reach the most vulnerable communities in the most affected nations. Women and girls in these communities have seen little of the funding currently available yet they are the ones most affected by the impact of the climate crisis. “Because of deforestation, because the water table is dwindling, the burden on women is much higher,” says Dawit Beza of the ACT Ethiopia Forum. “Where it once took 20 minutes for a woman or girl to fetch water, it might now take an hour.” 

Loss and damage in vulnerable communities includes loss of land, livelihoods and, when communities are uprooted by damage, the loss of intangibles such as culture and community, landmarks, geography and memory. The things of the soul. Developed countries cannot ever fully compensate these losses, but we can ease the transition for those who have lost everything and for those who struggle to adapt to climate-induced change.  

Housing, settlement and legal status in new communities if abroad; the goods needed to earn a livelihood; boats, tools and land — these are the basics of rebuilding. Policies that allow those displaced by climate change to seek safe refuge. All will require funding or financing, and this funding should allow communities to organise and implement the many good ideas they already have.  

Struggle for justice 

Realistically, each COP presents a struggle. There is a range of participants. People of faith and civil society must contend with the interests of the oil and gas industry and of emerging countries that belong to the G20. They are among the biggest emitters but deny their responsibilities. 

Working in solidarity with other faiths and with civil society organisations committed to climate justice, ACT has had an impact. Loss and damage financing is now on the COP27 agenda, although it has taken a huge, concerted effort by civil society organisations, negotiators and ACT members, even over this weekend, to get this far. There has been and still is tremendous resistance from developed and middle-income countries – especially those who are strong polluters – to discuss financing loss and damage to the extent that is necessary. This is what we mean when we talk about “agenda fights” at the COPs.  

As much as it is a struggle, it is a good one, and one our faith has prepared us for; we need only think of David and Goliath. ACT brings the voices, experiences and needs of vulnerable communities in vulnerable countries, primarily in the Global South, to the halls of power where decisions on the future of the world, decisions that will affect us all, are made.  

ACT amplifies the voices and needs of women and girls in rural areas who must travel three times as far for water due to a changing climate; fishers whose catch has diminished due to warming oceans; small scale farmers struggling with a lower water table; people and whole populations like those from the small islands on the move due to climate-induced disasters; Indigenous peoples who struggle to maintain language and culture in the face of colonisation; the disabled, those living in poverty and the marginalised.   

We may be limited in our numbers at each of the COPs, but our commitment to justice, to amplifying the voices of the marginalised, and to challenging unjust power relations is outsized. We make a difference, just as your support for climate justice makes a difference.  

Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel is the ACT Alliance Goodwill Ambassador for Climate Justice. Dr. Füllkrug-Weitzel was President of ACT Alliance member Brot für die Welt from 2000 until February 2021 and active in the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).  She is a member of the German Council for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals Commission of the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Development and Peace Foundation (sef:).