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Pre-COP28 Global Faith Leaders Summit

Abu Dhabi – November 6 – 7 2023

Under the gracious patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, the Muslim Council of Elders, in collaboration with the Presidency of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), the Catholic Church, and the United Nations Environment Programme, will host the ‘Global Faith Leaders Summit’ which is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 6 and 7.

The summit aims to discuss the ethical responsibilities of religious leaders in addressing the climate crisis as well as exploring the collaboration between religion and science to bridge the gap between empirical evidence and spiritual teachings. The summit will also focus on strategies to enhance the role of religious leaders and figures in contributing to climate justice while highlighting ways to engage communities in achieving sustainable development. It also aims to harness and sustain the collective wisdom and significant influence of religious leaders, towards raising awareness about climate change and instilling a sense of responsibility and urgent necessity among countries, institutions, and individuals, with the ultimate goal of leading a swift path towards climate justice.

The summit will also feature a diverse group of high-level participants, including 35 faith representatives and leaders from over 25 different backgrounds, along with prominent scholars, thinkers, influential youth activists, and impactful women and indigenous leaders, as well as notable figures from the private sector.

The summit will also feature speeches by His Holiness Pope Francis, His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, the COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, and other high-level representatives in the fields of science, academia, business, and various other domains.

Time & Place

In collaboration with the Presidency of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), the Catholic Church, and the United Nations Environment Programme, will host the ‘Global Faith Leaders Summit’ which is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 6 and 7.

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Participants

171

171 prominent figures and symbols of religious leaders

37

Different countries

35

35 Religions and sects

22

22 international ORGNIZATION concerned with environmental and climate issues

Rundown

Schedule of activities

First Day

Welcoming Remarks

H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan

Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence – United Arab Emirates

Opening session

HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL PIETRO PAROLIN,
Secretary of State of the Holy See (Vatican) and representative of His Holiness
Pope Francis
His Eminence Miguel Ángel Cardinal Ayuso

Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue – The Catholic Church

HHIS EMINENCE PROF. MOHAMED AL-DUWEINI,
Deputy of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and representative of His Eminence the Grand
Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb
His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I

Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop of Constantinople – The Ecumenical Church

His Excellency Maulen Ashimbayev

Head of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan

THE MOST REVEREND JUSTIN WELBY,
Archbishop of Canterbury (video message)
SWAMIJI AMRITASWARUPANANDA PURI,
Head Disciple of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma
DEACON ILYA KASHITSYN,
Representative of His Holiness Kirill I, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia
THE MOST VENERABLE DR. KORI SHINKAI,
Chief High Priest of Nenbutsushu Sampozan Muryojuji Temple

FATHER MINA HANNA BARSUM,
Episcopal Vicar of the Coptic Church in the Gulf Region, Representative of Pope
Tawadros
BHAI SAHIB BHAI MOHINDER SINGH AHLUWALIA,
Chairman of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ), Birmingham, UK
HIS VIRTUE SHEIKH-UL ISLAM ALLAHSHUKUR PASHAZADEH,
Grand Mufti of the Caucasus
SISTER MAUREEN GOODMAN,
Director of Brahma Kumaris in the United Kingdom

CALL FOR ACTION

DR. SALIM BIN MOHAMMED AL MALIK,
Director-General of the Islamic

Jeffrey Sachs

Asia Al-Shehhi

Rev. Susan Hendershot

Mona Polacca

FAITH AND SUSTAINABILITY

Rev. Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay

General-Secretary of the World Council of Churches

K.H. MUHAMMAD CHOLIL NAFIS,
President of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI)
His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II

Patriarch of Antioch and All the East

Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church

His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence

Ms. Bani Dugal

Principal Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations – Baha’i Faith

Professor Dr. Acharya Lokesh Muni

Founder and President of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti – Jainism

Bishop Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher

General-Secretary of the World Evangelical Alliance – The Evangelical Church

His Eminence Sheikh Rishama Sattar Jabbar Hilou

Head of the Mandaean-Sabean Sect in Iraq and the World – Mandaean-Sabean

Mr. Elder Patrick Kearon

Representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Mormon Church

Mrs. Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati

Buddhist Spiritual Activist

Mr. Tokita Hozumi

Representative of the Sukyo Mahikari Foundation – Shinto, Mahikari

Ms. Debra Boudreau

Chief Executive Officer of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation – Buddhism

Dr. Iyad Abumoghli

 

Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Faith for Earth Initiative

Keynote Remarks

Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam

Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders

His Eminence Prof. Mohamed Al-Duweini

Deputy of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif

Representative of His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar

His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin

Secretary of State of His Holiness Pope Francis – The Catholic Church

Representative of His Holiness Pope Francis

His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I

Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop of Constantinople – The Ecumenical Church

Rabbi David Rosen

Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland

Rev. Kumar Swami Ji

Hindu Spiritual Leader – Hinduism

Dharma Master Hsin Tao

Founder the Ling Jiou Mountain (LJM) – Buddhism

Bhai Singh Khalsa

Ambassador of Sikh Dharma and Head of the Religious and Spiritual Authority for the Sikh Religion in the Western Hemisphere – Sikhism

Remarks by Dr. Sultan Al Jaber

COP28 President-Designate

Towards an Integrated Approach

Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs

Former director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University

Dr. Carlos Zepeda

Assistant Director of the Laudato Si’ Research Institute

Second Day

Connecting the Heart with the Min

Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker

Co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University

Professor John Grim

Senior Lecturer and Research Scholar in Environmental Studies at Yale University, and Yale Divinity School, Department of Religious Studies

Nicklas Hagelberg

Senior Programme Cordinator for Climate Change at UN Environment Programme

STIENTJE VAN VELDHOVEN,

World Resources Institute Vice-President and Regional Director for Europe

Women Leadership Across Religions

Dr. Husna Ahmad

CEO of Global One Organization

Rev. Susan Hendershot

President at Interfaith Power & Light Organization

Grandmother Mona Polacca

Indigenous Leader of the Colorado River Indian Tribes

Jennifer Koinante Kitarbi

Member of the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee

Religions Youth Leaders

Sobia Ibrahim

President of the Faith for Earth Youth Council

Daniel Koto Dagnon

Founder of the Eco-Justice organization

Towards Unified Action

Dr. Iyad Abumoghli

Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

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Under the gracious patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, the Muslim Council of Elders, in collaboration with the Presidency of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), the Catholic Church, and the United Nations Environment Programme, will host the ‘Global Faith Leaders Summit’ which is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 6 and 7.