Orthodox Leaders Call for Urgent Climate Action at COP29

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OCP News Service – 06/11/2024

Baku – Azerbaijan: A delegation of prominent Orthodox leaders, including Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Bishop Alexy of Baku and Azerbaijan, Bishop Alexy of Khvostan (Serbian Orthodox Church), Anba Eramia of Coptic Orthodox Church and His Eminence Emmanuel of Chalcedon, attended the Global Summit of Religious Leaders held in Baku on November 5-6, 2024, as part of the COP29 climate conference.

The Orthodox leaders, along with other religious leaders from around the world, issued a joint call to:

• Prioritize climate action: Actively participate in public discussions on climate change and rally global support for a greener future.
• Respect nature and human life: Recognize the sanctity of both and advocate for environmental equality and justice.
• Accelerate climate action: Take a more active role in solving the global environmental crisis and limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• Support the Paris Agreement: Work together to implement and further the long-term goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
• Foster inclusive dialogue: Encourage an inclusive process involving representatives of different religions, faiths, policymakers, scholars, women, youth, indigenous people, local communities, civil society, and business circles.
• Promote peace: Contribute to global peace by calling for an end to armed conflicts, violence, ecocide, and urbicide.
• Counter extremism: Emphasize the need to take a unified stance against terrorist and extremist groups that exploit religion for their purposes.
• Combat hate speech: Expand cooperation to prevent harmful ideologies and calls for hatred that incite violence.
• Protect religious symbols: Condemn acts of vandalism against religious symbols and shrines.
• Educate youth: Encourage the education of young people in equal citizenship, human fraternity, environmental protection, and media literacy.
• Ensure human rights: Attach particular importance to ensuring human rights in clean, healthy, stable, and sustainable societies.
• Protect natural resources: Condemn the irresponsible overuse of natural sinks and reservoirs.
• Leverage religious influence: Utilize the potential of religions and faiths to address climate change.
• Promote diversity: Support the protection and respect of religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity and promote eco-ethics based on spiritual and moral values.

The Orthodox leaders’ participation in COP29 underscores the important role of religion in addressing climate change and mobilizing communities for action.

Source:

OCP News Service