This year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates), taking place from November 30 to December 12, has a Faith Pavilion for the first time, located in the conference’s so-called “Blue Zone”—the negotiating zone for which participants require special accreditation. This pavilion is enabling the voices of faith actors around the world to be shared in the form of messages to the negotiating parties at the UN Climate Change Conference.
More than 70 events have been scheduled in the Faith Pavilion during COP28. High-ranking speakers from the participating partners and other stakeholders have been recruited for keynote speeches, panel discussions, fireside chats and other inspiring events. All events are focusing on climate protection measures and the connections between faith, religions and spirituality.
The Faith Pavilion is offering a livestream of each event, accessible via the pavilion’s website (https://faithatcop28.com/). After the livestream, each session is uploaded to the Faith Pavilion YouTube channel. On social media, more information can be found under the hashtags #FaithAtCOP28 and #FaithClimateAction.
The pavilion is a collaboration between the COP28 Presidency, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, and the United Nations Environment Programme. The main organizer is the Muslim Council of Elders. The WEA Sustainability Center (WEASC) is one of the co-hosts and co-organizers of the Faith Pavilion. Over the past 12 months, the WEASC has worked intensively on the preparation and program planning for the Faith Pavilion.
During the first days of the UN Climate Change Conference, the two co-directors of the WEASC, Chris Elisara and Matthias Boehning, were in Dubai to actively support the launch of the Faith Pavilion. On December 3, Boehning moderated the full-day program at the Faith Pavilion. Later in the conference, Elisara will host key thematic events there.
Further information on the events and activities in the Faith Pavilion can be found at the Faith Pavilion website and the UNEP Faith for Earth platform (https://www.unep.org/events/conference/faith-based-engagement-cop28).
