The faith pavilion at COP28 includes faith-based organisations (FBOs) and religious leaders or their representatives, to convey the message that religious and spiritual communities and their green practices are vital to strengthen the fight against climate change, and to help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Environment Programme launched the Faith for Earth Coalition with the Interfaith Coordination Group on Climate Change to promote action at COP28.
Any statement of intent is a good starting point that can lead up to affirmative action according to principles laid down by FBOs and spiritual leaders who promote ways to heal the environment. Faiths include Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jewish and many others, so that the outcome is an eclectic mix of green ideas that can help in the UN’s effort to counter environmental destruction by promoting ‘circular models of living in harmony with nature along with adoption of clean energy‘.
Faith leaders point out that greed and self-centredness are major reasons for the imbalances we face today, and the appeal is to wealthier nations to curb excesses and help the less privileged people to overcome the crisis.