Friends witness for COP29 summit
Quakers rallied for the Global Day of Action for COP29
Quakers rallied for the Global Day of Action for COP29 last week, in the middle of the international climate summit.
As London Friends joined hundreds to march for climate finance on 16 November, Scottish Quakers in Edinburgh took part in a multi-faith service and vigil for COP29 to bring about ‘brave and bold solutions’. This year’s conference was based in Baku in Azerbaijan from 11 to 22 November.
The vigil, organised by Christian Aid, Eco-congregation Scotland, and Interfaith Scotland, took place in front of the Scottish Parliament.
Maureen Sier, director of Interfaith Scotland, pointed out the vigil was also during Scottish Interfaith Week. ‘It’s crucial that as representatives of Scotland’s diverse faith communities we are united in our call for urgent action to tackle climate change and to prevent the huge injustice it’s wreaking on people and the planet… just recently a year’s worth of rain fell in one single day in southern Spain.’
On the same day in Baku, Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) convened an event sponsored by other Quaker groups, including Britain Yearly Meeting, called: ‘What Really Makes Us Safe? Peace, climate finance and climate action in an existential time.’
At this year’s conference, world leaders were seeking to set a new global climate finance target.
