Faith and Climate Change: Declaration to UNFCCC/COP-17

More than 130 faith leaders, including traditional leaders, mainly from Africa but also from Northern Europe and Asia gathered in Nairobi (Kenya) on 7-8 June with the objective to prepare African religious leaders for the upcoming UNFCCC/COP-17 in December in Durban (South Africa), and to do the following:

• Develop a common framework for African Ecumenical action on climate justice and sustainable peace in Africa;
• Mobilize faith based organizations to understand and respond to climate justice and sustainable peace in Africa;
• Strengthen faith leaders’ competences in climate justice and sustainable peace;
• Explore synergy with state and non-state actors in joint advocacy efforts on climate justice and sustainable peace in Africa;
• Present to the climate change negotiators the essential moral principles required to reach a fair and just climate agreement.

The final result was a communique from the faith-based organizations to the COP.

Background and Communique