WelCom December 2023
On the eve of Pope Francis’ historic attendance at the UN climate change conference COP28 in Dubai, 30 November to 12 December, His Excellency Rashed Matar Alqemzi, UAE Ambassador to New Zealand, writes for WelCom on the profound significance of Pope Francis’ invitation and acceptance to attend COP28.
H. E. Rashed Matar Alqemzi, UAE Ambassador to New Zealand
Climate change is truly the defining challenge of our generation – a threat to all of us that transcends political divisions, country boundaries or differences in religion. And its impact is clearly visible: from floods in Libya to heatwaves across the Northern Hemisphere, climate change is causing extreme weather events that are increasingly impacting all corners of our planet.
These devastating weather events have been described by Pope Francis as the Earth’s ‘cries of protest’ – cries that can no longer be ignored in good faith. The decision by His Holiness to attend the COP28 conference in Dubai – the first time a pontiff has participated in the UN environmental summit since they began in 1995 – is recognition of the need for people of all faiths to unite in climate action.
It is through faith in God that we learn to safeguard the Earth and support all persons on it, especially the poorest and those most in need. This was expressed in the ‘Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together’ issued by His Holiness and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, in 2019 – and the pontiff has returned to the theme of safeguarding the Earth in his recent apostolic exhortation, Laudate Deum (Praise God).
Through these principles of stewardship, compassion, and reverence for creation, faith leaders can help inspire climate action around the world – a world that may be nearing its breaking point, as Pope Francis warns us. To prevent such a fate will require the engagement of all levels of society, which is why making COP28 fully inclusive is one of the key pillars of the COP28 Presidency.
As a fully inclusive COP, it is fitting that COP28 will be the first to have a Papal presence – and the attendance of His Holiness is not the only faith ‘first’ for COP28. The conference will also feature the first Faith Pavilion, which I am proud to say will now be inaugurated by Pope Francis.
Hosted by the Muslim Council of Elders in collaboration with the COP28 Presidency, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the Holy See, and a coalition of faith partners, the Faith Pavilion aims to convey a message of peace to the world. It will be a hub for faith communities to share information and strategies aimed at persuading governments to take more decisive climate action.
The recent Global Faith Leaders’ Summit in Abu Dhabi, which brought together 28 faith leaders to sign ‘The Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement for COP28,’ demonstrates that our faith leaders have a shared concern to address the escalating climate impacts that imperil our cherished planet and to support the most vulnerable members of our global community.
While we are at a critical moment for climate action, there is still time to act – if we stand together, we can overcome the worst impacts of climate change. And we will. I have faith in that.
See also: Inaugural ‘Faith Pavilion’ for COP28.
