Update #16

A set of images captured both inside and outside of COP26 has been added.

A Video of the Talanoa Dialogue has been added to the Interfaith Start to COP26 article.

Women’s Interfaith Dialogue on Faith Journeys and the Environment: The Edinburgh Women’s interfaith meet for Scottish Interfaith Week has been noted.

An account of the Opening Interfaith Service (Talanoa Dialogue) has been added: The United Nations climate conference currently taking place in Glasgow has been described as a make-or-break moment, as world leaders are assembled to report on progress vis-a-vis the commitments laid out in the Paris accord and, it is hoped, further commit to ambitious action to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the world. Read more

Youth, Indigenous people bring climate frontlines to the forefront at COP26: Youth have been somewhat out of the picture – even though the YOUNGO UN Conference COY-16 (for youth) concluded immediately prior to COP26. There have been many, many references during COP26 describing how the vulnerable suffer. This includes indigenous peoples. The Paris Agreement says we must listen to the voice of youth, and respect the inherent and inherited knowledge of indigenous peoples and their wisdom and local knowledge – when it comes to effective solutions for proper adapation and repair of damage. Read more

The power of investment: beyond faith protests to faith actions: Martin Palmer, CEO of Faith Invest, writes: For over 35 years I had the pleasure of being HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s religious advisor on the environment. Together, we convened the first ever meeting of the key faiths and the major environmental organisations in Assisi in 1986. From this has flowed, through the work he pioneered and through the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) that he and I set up, the ever deepening role of faiths in environmental issues. When we set up ARC in 1995 we gave it twenty years on the grounds that if we succeeded in our two aims – help every major faith tradition create faith-based programmes on the environment, and help each major secular environmental and development organisation to see the faiths as key partners – then we should close. Read on.

‘What a waste’: Japanese spiritual traditions of Mottainai as sustainable environmental practice. In the Hope against Hope series organised by the Theology and Religious Studies Department of the University of Glasgow, Saeko Yazaki explores the Japanese worldview of Mottainai and its deep roots in Shinto and Buddhist traditions that extend reverence towards both living beings and created objects. Read more.

Reverend Billy Talen is a preacher, an author, artist and father. He has been jailed more than 50 times for his dramatic advocacy for the Earth, justice and democracy. He is presenting at Glasgow Centre for Contemporary Arts. Read more

Climate Education for a Sustainable Future: Hosted by the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, Special guests Cathy Orlando discusses the topic of Climate Education for a Sustainable Future with Julie Johnston, Paul Beckwith and Regina Valdez. Education is crucial to promote climate action. It helps people understand and address the impacts of the climate crisis, empowering them with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to act as agents of change. Read more

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation hosted one press conference on Food Crisis in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities. More than two-thirds of Africans depend on agriculture for their income and their basic food needs. Research has shown that countries with higher agricultural growth have lower poverty rates. By improving agriculture and food markets, there is an opportunity to further lift millions of African people out of poverty. Read more

COP26: We are in the front line of climate change, says Archbishop of Central America; Central America is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, and contains some of the richest eco-systems, as well as communities living on the front line of the climate crisis. “All the countries in the Central American region are experiencing flooding, and also food scarcity due to climate change. This also results in forced migration, which impacts on the region,” Archbishop Murray said. Read more

COP26: Faith leaders ‘all on the same page’ about climate: The Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, chairs the launch of the Green Church Showcase in St George’s, Tron, in Glasgow, on Tuesday. The Showcase, a joint production by the Church of England’s environment programme and the Church Times, highlights seven projects from different denominations. Also speaking at the launch were Dr Ruth Valerio, from Tearfund, and Richard Black, from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. Read more

We are never far from the madding crowd: the media.