Environmental Justice on the Agenda at COP29

 

God of blessings, 
the universe sings of your glory. 
Deepen our gratitude for all you have made 
and awaken in us a renewed commitment 
to care for the earth and each other. 

Inspire world leaders at COP29, 
with openness to listen to those most affected by climate change 
and with courage to act urgently and wisely, 
so that our common home may be healed and restored  
and all people, and generations to come, may delight in it. 

Amen.

I'll concede that I'm in Dad Joke country when I say that Azerbijan sounds as though it is a place from a Harry Potter novel (actually Azkaban), but how many of us could find this country on a map. Yet representatives from many countries  are in Baku, the capital, for another United Nations Climate Change Conference, this one COP29. This one is different in focus from the recent UN biodiversity meeting in Columbia but there is a significant issue which is essentially the same in both. Who pays for the practical steps necessary for poorer nations to meet climate emission targets and habitat restoration, an estimated one trillion US dollars dollars?

One of the arguments for these reparations is that rich countries have plundered wealth from those poorer global neigbours for hundreds of years through colonialism and it's now time for them to make good for the sake of the planet on which we all live. It shouldn't surprise any of us that while there is a fair amount of talk about a global fund for this to happen financially, well off nations don't want to make any firm commitments toward making this happen. With a new/old administration with an isolationist bent looming in the United States we can be reasonably sure that there won't be a will to make this fund a reality.

I have grown fairly cynical about these conferences because too often they seem like opportunities for representatives to stay in expensive accommodation and eat in the lap of luxury, while they talk until they are blue and green in the face without setting attainable targets. Dubious choices are made about locations in countries that have lousy environmental records and hidden agendas.

At most of the summits there what amount to shadow conferences with NGOs and religious groups offering a counter narrative based on reciprocity and straight talk. The Christian groups often offer calls to action as well as reminders that we are people of the Creator and live with Incarnational hope. I suppose this means that cynicism is not an option for this Christian even though it's not easy being green and getting harder. I'll keep praying and looking for Azerbijan.