COP29 Experience under CYDP
November 2024
3 min read
Climate Youth Development Programme (CYDP) brought together 20 youths who are passionate about sustainability to COP29, Baku, Azerbaijan. Throughout COP29, Climate Interfaith members under CYDP attended faith-based events on climate action!
Interfaith session by Interfaith Centre for Sustainable Development (ICSD)
Lei Hong Wei from Climate Interfaith attended a conference by Interfaith Centre for Sustainable Development (ICSD) with speakers: Lisa Graumlich, President of American Geophysical Union, Serafim, Orthodox Christian Leader of Zimbabwe, and Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Founder and Executive Director of ICSD.
3 key messages resonated deeply with Climate Interfaith were:
- Climate change is a moral imperative for faith communities to act on.
- Faith communities should be role models and inspire broader community shifts with renewable energy in places of worship and sustainable living through youth engagement.
- Many faith institutions are sleeping giants in climate actions. What can help wake up these sleeping giants from their slumber?
Conference on Buddhism for Climate Resilience by Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA)
Clarette Teo from Climate Interfaith also attended a session on Buddhism for climate resilience by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. There was an opening meditation and closing prayer for natural preservation, so it was pretty cool amidst all the noise outside. Speakers were from Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) which has a branch in Singapore (Fo Guan Shan Monastery).
2 key initiatives that Climate Interfaith could learn from:
1) Vegerun: where participants do donation of plant-based food with the money from run going to charity;
2) Days of vegetarian diet: which meant reduced deforestation, water consumption, food waste and CO2 emissions
Ismail Weiliang from Climate Interfaith met many amazing individuals at the Faith pavilion empowering faith communities for climate action namely: Muhammad Bahr from Muslim Council of Elders , Carine Josiéle Wendland from Lutheran World Foundation, Kwong Djee Chan from Buddha's Light International Association and Maureen Goodman from Brahma Kumaris.
Muhammad Bahr, Muslim Council of Elders Curator of Faith Pavilion at COPs
Carine Josiéle Wendland, Climate Advisor Lutheran World Foundation
Kwong Djee Chan, Vice-Director of BLIA World Headquarters
Maureen Goodman, Brahma Kumaris UN representative
Ismail Weiliang from Climate Interfaith gave a keynote speech at the Commonwealth pavilion and shared Climate Interfaith mission of empowering faith communities for collective climate action.
To realize this mission, we must:
1) Leverage deep faith networks, traditions, and leadership: We must elevate the moral dimensions of climate change, reminding policymakers and the public of our shared responsibility to protect our planet.
2) Promote interfaith collaboration. We must strengthen our social cohesion between faith communities through working for the same cause – climate action.
3) Support Climate Solutions: We must encourage faith-based organisations to invest in
advancing net-zero places of worship and sustainable living.
By providing a platform for interfaith collaborations on climate action, Climate Interfaith leverages both climate and faith networks to empower faith communities be more sustainable and cohesive in Singapore, towards a world where people and planet thrive in peace!
