• As part of the alliance’s demands to faith leaders

Baku, Azerbaijan - Under a unified message “Act Together: Faith and Communities for Climate Action”, the Ummah for Earth alliance is hosting 2 events at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) and has drafted a list of demands to deliver to faith leaders participating there. The Ummah for Earth members are present at COP29 to contribute to mobilizing Muslim communities and faith actors to champion climate action through an ethical and faith-driven approach.

 "We at Ummah for Earth Alliance, U4E, a faith-based coalition of organizations and individuals, hope to see, at COP29, a genuine commitment to climate justice and resilience, especially for vulnerable communities”, said Nouhad Awwad, Ummah For Earth’s campaigner and Global Outreach Coordinator at Greenpeace MENA. “Youth, women, frontline communities, and faith-based voices must be heard and central in negotiations. At U4E, we are guided by values of mercy, justice, and unity. We are participating at COP29 to advocate for mobilizing Islamic Finance towards keeping with tripling the global renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade and achieving the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal, strengthening interfaith collaboration, and ambitious commitments, showing the world that together, we can build a just future”.

As part of its activities at COP29, the Ummah For Earth Alliance is hosting on the 20th of November the event “Harnessing Islamic Finance for Renewable Energy Advancement” in the Faith pavilion. The event aims to provide a comprehensive and deep analysis of the potential of Islamic Finance tools in funding the energy transition to triple the world's installed renewable energy generation capacity to at least 11,000 GW by 2030. It will explore future prospects and opportunities within Islamic Finance for climate action and will highlight emerging trends, innovative approaches, and potential avenues for collaboration and growth. On the day after, the alliance will also be hosting the event “Bridging Faith and Youth Voices for Climate Action” in the Green Zone.

“COP29 in Baku represents a pivotal moment as the third consecutive COP in a Muslim-majority country, after Egypt and the UAE. This presents a unique opportunity to showcase Islamic leadership in climate action, particularly through Islamic finance”, explains Tariq Al-Olaimy, co-founder and managing director of 3BL Associates and Ummah For Earth member. “With $12 trillion of power system investment needed by 2030 to triple renewables and maintain the 1.5°C limit, I hope to see ambitious commitments from the $4.5 trillion Islamic finance industry, which is uniquely positioned to help bridge this climate finance gap through instruments like green sukuk. I urge Islamic financial institutions to set bold renewables, adaptation and nature investment targets, and call on policymakers to create supportive regulatory frameworks to accelerate their implementation. ”

In addition to this event, Ummah For Earth will be engaging with faith leaders at COP29 to push them to lead on environmental work and inspire climate action, especially within their communities. Ummah For Earth demands faith leaders at COP29 to encourage harnessing Islamic Finance as a tool to increase renewable energy investments, push the governments to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030 as agreed, push for bending the curve of waste and extravagance, commit to promoting sustainability in communities, demand the inclusion of diverse voices from Muslim communities, other faith communities, Indigenous peoples, and different vulnerable groups in climate decision-making processes, motivate Interfaith Collaborations, and others. Ummah For Earth’s demands to Faith Leaders at COP29 constitute steps to ensure the involvement and inclusion of Muslim communities as well as other faith communities in the Global Climate movement.

Finally, the Ummah For Earth Alliance hopes that COP29 will inspire justice in all its forms. “At COP29, we are reminded that the pursuit of climate justice is intrinsically linked to the broader challenges of peace and human rights”, said Ghenwa kataya, Co-founder of Arab Youth Green Voices Network and Ummah For Earth member. “The ongoing war on Lebanon and Palestine serves as stark reminders of how war exacerbates climate vulnerability, placing immense strain on affected communities. We hope that this COP will inspire global leaders to adopt solutions that not only address the climate crisis but also promote justice, equity, and lasting peace. A sustainable future requires a united effort to end both environmental and human suffering”.

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Madeleine Arnaout, Global Communications and Key Influencers Lead for the Ummah for Earth Project at Greenpeace MENA,  marnaout@greenpeace.org

About the Ummah for Earth Alliance:

Ummah for Earth is a faith-based climate alliance of 40+ organizations and individual allies worldwide. We have been focusing on empowering communities and local environmental initiatives, shedding light on the intersection between Islamic faith and climate action, and encouraging and helping Muslims and others to raise their voices for the well-being of our common home.