Reverent politics key to climate action

The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) has used the Faith Pavilion at the COP29 to advance its calls for justice for the least contributors to the climate crisis, but who are worst affected.

The second such pavilion, after the one launched in 2023 during the COP28 climate talks in Dubai, has hosted key figures in the climate arena. On the third day of the COP29 talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, Prof W Cole Durham, President of G20 Interfaith Forum, graced the Pavilion, and expressed hopes that it would continue to benefit successive COPs, as he gave insights on “how mindfulness, inner peace, and sustainable practices impact the environment”.

The Faith Pavilion has brought together a diverse coalition of 97 organisations representing 11 different religions and sects, expected to offer unique moral and ethical perspectives to enhance climate action. They include a host of representatives of AACC, the Africa Faith Actors Network for Climate Justice (AFAN-CJ), including youth, and members of the Muslim faith leaders from countries such as Nigeria, Algeria, Kenya, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, the DRC, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Gabon, Ethiopia and Gambia, to mention a few.

Prof Durham used “Reverence: Renewing a forgotten virtue”, a book authored by Woodruff Paul, in which the author brought out the universality of reverence, to illustrate his point. He said reverence was not merely about being quiet in church. “It is a universal human capacity… found in people who are not necessarily considered reverent, but whose inner peace is key for the peace of the environment,” he said.

He termed reverence a virtue for the entire society, adding that it was crucial for humans need to live with limitations, and respect for others. “Conscience coerced is conscience denied,” he said, adding that the Faith Pavilion was a haven for religious and nonreligious ideas aimed at solving existing climate challenges.

“Power without reverence is catastrophe,” he said, as he referred to the hubris and geopolitics in successive climate talks. “The virtue ethics focuses on moral character, moral education and moral wisdom. Reverence is necessary in the current parasitical democracy,” he said.

Speakers after speaker sought to know how Prof Durham would approach the fact that most G20 countries were also highly responsible for the climate crisis. He said the G20 was equally focused on several other issues, including ensuring adequate funding to achieve equitable climate change impacts reduction.

The AACC Director of Programmes, Rev Dr Ezekiel Lesmore, sought to know how reverence would work in the conversations that have emphasized profit over human well-being. “Reverence is the answer to hubris,” answered Prof Durham. He asked participants to tell people in power who downplay the climate crisis and the associated justice issues to be reverent and have a deeper understanding of the foundations that keep humans. “Reverence is about understanding that our human powers are limited. We must remind society of this reality,” he said.

As the push for climate justice continues in the Baku talks, faith communities and other participants who flock the Pavilion everyday say prayers alone will not solve existing crises. “As faith actors, let’s practice prayer and policy strategy, use our voices and presence to make a difference in climate policy, and hold duty bearers accountable,” said Rt. Rev Lydia Chituku-Neshangwe, the AACC President.

The role of faith communities in ensuring environment and biodiversity safety has also been evident in many talks at the Faith Pavilion, with humans reminded to be better custodians of the wealth granted them by their Creator, as told in their various holy books.

“As a faith-based association, we expect integrity in the negotiations, and justice for the less responsible but disproportionately affected victims,” said Sheikh Abdoul Raimi, an AFAN-CJ member from Benin.

The two-week global climate talks that began on November 11 will mainly focus on finances, including the annual reparations by the biggest greenhouse gas emitters, which parties expect to increase to $1.3 trillion from the expiring initial annual $100 billion commitment that has been contentious; Adaptation Fund as well as the Loss and Damage Fund, which got pledges of at least $700 million last year, but has little to show in actualisation one year later.

Speaking at the Pavilion yesterday, Dr Tinashe Gumbo, the AACC Programme Executive, Economic and Ecological Justice asked polluters to act responsibly. “Polluters must pay. The rich must be taxed. That taxation should be progressive. These measures can scale up public finance for climate action. Tax justice can deliver the much-needed climate finance for vulnerable communities,” said Dr Gumbo.