From Belém, Brazil to the pews

This month, the world has turned to Belém, Brazil, where the 30^th UN Conference of the Parties (COP30) convened leaders, scientists, and activists to confront the escalating climate crisis.

Dubbed the “COP of Implementation,” this year’s conference focuses on converting commitments into measurable action. As Presbyterians, we witnessed these negotiations firsthand and advocated alongside other members of the global faith community. During every moment of COP30, our presence was rooted in a moral call: to restore, protect, and cherish God’s Creation, including its people.

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Belém, with its vibrant culture and proximity to the Amazon, was a fitting stage for these discussions. Here, the urgency of climate change is not abstract; it is palpable in the rivers, forests, and local communities directly affected by environmental degradation. COP30 brings nations together to discuss climate change solutions through mitigation, adaptation, finance, loss and damage. Amid these high-stakes negotiations, the faith community gathers in intentional spaces to discern how God calls us to advocacy and witness.

Even amid the hectic COP schedule, the faith community makes space for Talanoa and Tapiri dialogues. This central, non-hierarchical practice invites all voices, without a defined leader or agenda, to listen for the sacred patterns that emerge organically. This tradition was brought to the UNFCCC in 2018 from the Pacific Island nations. Throughout the conference, they provide space for prayer, moral witnesses, and coordinated advocacy. Talanoa brings together multiple religions to emphasize shared responsibility for Creation, while Tapiri unites Christian denominations in collective advocacy. These gatherings reminded us that our presence at COP is not just observational; it is a moral witness calling leaders to accountability.

While discussions continue, critical debates remain unresolved, especially around climate finance and enforcement. As a COP of Implementation, the urgency is apparent: delayed or inadequate action threatens frontline communities, deepens global inequities, and jeopardizes the future of God’s Creation. Every postponed decision carries real human and ecological consequences.

Decisions are guided by the latest climate science, which underscores the urgency of the moment: global temperatures continue to rise, frontline populations are disproportionately affected, and decisive action is needed now to keep warming below 1.5°C. From the U.S. perspective, our delegation emphasized both cooperating globally and phasing out fossil fuel dependency, demonstrating that faith-informed advocacy complements policy engagement. For Presbyterians, understanding this science reinforces our call to care for Creation responsibly.

Negotiations are shaped by geopolitics, with major economies, emerging nations, and regional bodies bringing differing priorities. For U.S. faith communities, climate action is not just a domestic priority, but a global covenant. Through our presence, we witnessed, prayed, and held leaders accountable — advocating for justice for the most vulnerable while recognizing our shared stewardship of God’s Creation.

COP is an important and unique event in the climate justice world because it is a conference about climate change and development. It is crucial to remember and consider the human impacts of the climate crisis when advocating for climate justice and developing solutions. As Presbyterians, we believe that all human beings are created in the image of God. When climate change begins to affect the dignity and lives of our siblings across the global community, the issue becomes not just an ecological crisis but also a moral one. Many of the side events and special events, which were hosted on COP premises by organizations other than the UNFCCC at COP30, focused on the intersections between climate justice and other justice topics, such as racial, gender, economic, and migrant justice, as well as militarism and the global legacies of colonialism and imperialism. The faith community at COP plays a critical role in advocating for the inclusion and uplifting of the voices of those directly impacted by the exacerbation of other injustices by climate change in climate negotiations and global climate policy.

This vital Conference of the Parties brings together actors from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors worldwide to share their perspectives, insights and goals for global climate policy. Since COP attracts such a wide variety of stakeholders, the faith community must make its voice and moral witness heard. At COP30, the international multifaith and intergenerational community worked together to plan dialogues, side events, panels, and “stunts” to ensure their presence was visible and their call for moral climate action was not ignored or overshadowed by other groups.

Climate conversations not only affect parties gathered in Belém; they also impact every congregation. Presbyterians can respond by:

• Engaging in local creation care projects — trees, water protection, renewable energy, and the Earth Care Congregation initiative with the Presbyterian Hunger Program.
• Getting involved in Advocacy and Witness Initiatives on the denominational level through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations.
• Educating others about COP decisions and their global and local impacts.
• Participating in prayer and reflection for climate justice.

As Scripture reminds us, we are called to “till and keep” the Earth (Genesis 2:15). COP30 is a vivid reminder that this call extends from our congregations to the nations.

The Conference of the Parties (COP), held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is the annual meeting of nations working together to address climate change. COP30 marks the 30th such gathering, bringing together countries and civil society, including communities of faith, to turn commitments into concrete action.

The Rev. Christina Cosby was a COP30 delegate from the Office of Public Witness, where she is Representative for Domestic Policy. Clare Balsan was a COP30 delegate from the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations, which she serves as an advocacy associate.