Faiths at COP15 meet with Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

Montréal, Canada (12 December 2024) - Faiths at COP15, a coalition of faith-based organizations and conservation groups, met with Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, to share its six policy recommendations for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. 

“Nearly all religious traditions teach that the natural world is an expression of the Divine and believe that humans have an obligation to live in harmony with the natural world,” said Gopal Patel, Co-Founder and Director of Bhumi Global and coordinator for Faiths at COP15. “We underscored to the Executive Secretary that COP15 is one of the global community’s last chances to create a nature positive world. Faith groups are here to help bring moral urgency to the negotiations in Montréal as well as mobilize our communities to implement the GBF’s goals.” 

The coalition’s six policy recommendations are endorsed by over 50 faith-based organizations who represent tens, if not millions, of people of faith, and urge negotiators to agree on an ambitious, right-based framework with a strong implementation mechanism. 

“Faith groups are well positioned to bring holistic solutions to the table in order to reverse our ecological crisis,” said Alexandra Goossens-Ishii, Programme Coordinator for Climate & Environment Advocacy for Soka Gakkai International and policy lead for Faiths at COP15. “We stressed to the Executive Secretary that if the global framework is to be successful, it must have an integrated approach to our planet's many ecological challenges, actively engage historically marginalized communities, and incentivize the just transition to economic and social systems that prioritize the common good for all life on Earth.”

Members organizations of Faiths at COP15 have observer status with CBD and are tracking negotiations. The coalition is also hosting dozens of side events as part of the Faith Pavilion, one of the pavilions within the civil society space. 

To learn more about Faiths at COP15 and its policy priorities for the GBF, please visit its website. 

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For more information or to schedule interviews
Contact: Wesley Cocozello, Communications Lead for Faiths at COP15
Email: wcocozello@columban.org