KENYA: Church Organizations Set to Chart Way Forward on Environmental Issues ahead of COP26
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Five Church organizations have planned for a two-day virtual session to commence the process of preparation and advocacy planning on environmental issues ahead of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties also known as (COP26) and the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) slated for November 2021 and February 2022 respectively.
The Jesuits Justice and Ecology Network Africa (JENA), the Association of member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), The Symposium for Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM) in collaboration with United Nations Faith for Earth have slated a workshop from December 3-4, for Major Catholic Climate justice and Integral Ecology Groups and Networks across Africa.
In a message shared with AMECEA Online on Tuesday, November 24, the virtual session is to help chart way forward and course of action for inclusive, ambitious and sustainable climate change policies and actions.
In their collective message, the representatives of the church organizations intend to develop advocacy priority areas and key tasks for COP26 and UNEA-5 and to identify concrete actionable steps to actualize suggested proposals and conduct series of virtual meetings on how to prepare for the two global events.
During the two-day virtual session, the discussions will focus on status of the global and regional climate crisis and biodiversity loss, the practicalities of engaging in COP 26 and UNEA-5, updates on COP26, UNEA 5 and Faith for Earth Initiative and understanding the role of faith based organizations in building changing the narrative or bending the curve in climate crisis.
The Tuesday message highlights that the Church organizations intend to “raise the voice of Africa for a more just world and wellbeing of our common home.”
The UNEA is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment and it addresses the critical environmental challenges facing the world today. The UNEA-5 will connect and consolidate environmental actions within the context of sustainable development and give significant impetus to more effective implementation.
The COP26 will be conducted in November 2021 in Glasgow and the session is intended to “bring together representatives of diverse farming communities, cities, states and regions providing space for a constructive dialogue on food and climate change, improving mutual understanding of each other’s ambitions and circumstances, and to build new connections and partnerships.” There are also efforts to seek a high-level declaration on the need for integrated food policies to tackle the climate emergency.
