Gearing up for COP30 in Brazil

Together for the climate: Delegates outside the Anglican Cathedral in Brasilia. Photo: Bruno Dias Guedes

Between 18-20 March 2025, around 50 church leaders, faith representatives, ecumenical organisations, Indigenous groups, and climate specialists gathered in Brasília to prepare for COP30, the 2025 United Nations Climate Conference. Over three days, delegates engaged in thoughtful discussions and planning, focusing on the churches’ public advocacy actions and a collective response to the current climate crisis.

COP30 in Belém is a crucial opportunity, not least because it will take place within the Diocese of Amazônia. The local diocese has long promoted Indigenous rights and care for creation, bearing witness first-hand to the effects of climate change and destructive environmental practices that will be the order of discussion at COP.

During the opening prayer service at the Anglican Cathedral of Brasília, faith leaders emphasised the urgency of confronting the climate crisis and the role of faith in inspiring action. The Most Revd Marinez Bassotto, Archbishop of the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil, urged:

This hope is alive, propelling us forward and compelling us to act today. The urgency of tomorrow pushes us to fight now. For believers, hope is more than a feeling—it is action.

Hope is already being turned into action as voices come together. The diverse group included delegates from across Latin America and the Caribbean—including Brazil, Honduras, El Salvador, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic— who represented a diverse range of churches and organisations, such as the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil, Sínodo Luterano Salvadoreño (Lutheran Synod in El Salvador), and the World Council of Churches. Anglican partners like the Anglican Communion Office joined ecumenical groups including Cáritas Brasileira, Tearfund Latam, and the National Council of Christian Churches of Brazil.

The Revd Dr Rodrigo Espiúca, a vicar in the Diocese of Brasília and the Diocesan Officer for Human, Environmental and Territorial Rights, came away from the meeting in good spirits:

I feel much more optimistic about the collaboration between churches and other faith-based organisations. It is compelling to stand united not least because it sends a powerful message to the government and [world] leaders.

On the last day of the meeting, the delegation welcomed Marina Silva, Brazil’s Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, who was presented with the ‘Call to Action’. The document, endorsed by all present, details the current crisis and highlights the voices of impacted communities. Also central to the communiqué is the Christian imperative to act with urgency to protect God’s creation. It reads:

We stand in solidarity with the people and communities most affected as we “mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). At the same time, we maintain a steadfast hope in a God who is renewing our minds and our world (Romans 8:19-21) as He urgently calls us all to action.

Dr Paulo Ueti, USPG, (pictured left) with friends and church partners from the Diocese of Brasília, including The Rt Revd Maurício de Andrade, The Revd Dr Rodrigo Espiúca and The Most Revd Marinez Bassotto, Archbishop of the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil.

The Revd Canon Dr Peniel Rajkumar Theologian and Director of Global Mission concludes:

USPG, with its strong commitment to climate justice, sees this meeting as one small but important step towards ensuring a just future for the earth, our common home.

In partnership with the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil, we are committed to advancing climate justice through prayer and action, championing equitable and effective climate solutions. Stay tuned and follow @USPGglobal for updates as we approach COP30.