COP29 took place from the 11-22 November, 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The CCN Eco and our friends at the Joint Public Issues Team share an update on some of the activities from before and during the conference.
An Interfaith Call to Action
Ruth Harvey, Leader of the Iona Community, signed the COP29 Interfaith Call to Action on behalf of the Community:
‘We stand at a crossroads, facing an existential threat to life on Earth as we know it. The urgency to act cannot be overstated. As people of faith from diverse traditions,we believe the climate emergency must be addressed on a moral level, with decisions driven by honesty, compassion, courage, trust, and foresight. The survival of our planet and future generations depends on the choices made today.
The protection of our common home, Mother Earth, cannot wait. We need to take action now to confront and remedy the interconnected crises of climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.
The climate crisis demands unprecedented unity and action. At COP29, world leaders must act with moral clarity and ambition, moving beyond delays to reset our course towards a just, sustainable future. This pivotal moment requires us to safeguard our planet for generations to come, honouring our shared responsibility to all forms of life.
You can read the letter in full here: https://oikoumene.org/resources/documents/cop29-interfaith-call-to-action
What were the outcomes of COP29?
Our friends at the Joint Public Issues Team have produced a helpful summary of the achievements of the COP29 summit that ended last weekend.
‘COP 29 was a crucial test of global commitments to mobilise resources to avoid the severe damage to populations, species and eco-systems that would accompany a global warming above 1.5 degrees. COP29 failed this test. It identified only $300 billion of the $1.3 trillion of annual external finance calculated to be necessary by 2035.
Intense negotiations ran 33 hours beyond the allotted time, completing in Baku at 2:30am on Sunday morning. Some senior negotiators had only managed one or two hours sleep in 48 hours. The outcome was seen by many as a “betrayal” while others considered it as a first step forward in difficult international circumstances.
You can read the statement in full here: COP29 – The Final Scores – Joint Public Issues Team
A change of name
You may also have noticed that the CCN Eco has had a name change from CCN Environment. Liz Gibson, the moderator of the CCN Eco shares that the CCN decided that ‘eco was a more precise and inclusive title, as well as easier to say and understand. It is linked with Oikos, household or dwelling, from which we derive ecumenical.’
USA North East