The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) began on Monday, November 10th in Belém, Brazil and is taking place until November 21st, 2025. My boss, Regina Banks, our Director of LOPP-CA, is attending in-person. As the Hunger Advocacy Fellow in Sacramento, I am following the conference sessions online. I am excited for us both to connect with the larger global community to learn more about climate justice issues, especially from people most impacted by climate change.
Previously, I had heard of the Conference of Parties as an environmental conference, but I did not know much about it. What I have learned is that this year’s COP marks the 10-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement. For those unfamiliar, it was initially formed in efforts to curb emissions and limit global warming to well below 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5 °C.
However, 10 years later, the Climate Action Tracker projects that there is a 50% chance that warming will exceed 2.1°C by 2100. Countries and people groups who are most impacted by climate change contribute the least to emissions. Challenges to the Paris Agreement’s implementation have included the USA pulling out of the agreement altogether during both Trump presidencies and an overall lack of substantive action by the additional countries responsible for the most emissions.
Lutherans from across the globe, not just from state public policy offices in Texas or California, are attending COP30, as the Lutheran World Federation sends people each year. We are following the Biblical imperative to protect the most vulnerable in society, which can be found in places like Matthew 25:40: “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these siblings of mine, you did it to me.’”
You may be wondering the quintessential Lutheran question, “What does this mean?” Why do Lutherans bother to show up to COP year after year? What does it mean for us to be united in our faith as a global community? Our presence at COP means that we can carry these stories of faithful people with us into our statewide advocacy. No longer can we say, “I don’t know of anyone outside of the United States of America who’s been impacted by climate change.” This brings us into greater accountability with not only people that share our faith, but also people who have different or no faith traditions of their own.
Going forward, we will continue to share on this blog about what we are learning from COP, so ‘stay tuned’ to read more.