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The Time is Now: African Climate Summit

September 6, 2023

The African Climate Summit (ACS) is underway in Nairobi, Kenya. The African continent, with its 1.2 billion people, is weighed down by debt to countries and multilateral development banks, primarily in the Global North. The debt disallows positive investment in climate mitigation and adaptation measures. Despite the near negligible contributions of African nations to the climate crisis, they are indeed some of the most impacted peoples. Of the 20 countries most impacted by climate change, 17 are in Africa. Nearly 600 million Africans lack access to electricity and of those 600 million, 72 million youth in Africa — the majority

The Harvest Through the Weeds: Sustainable Food Systems and the UN Stocktaking Moment

August 29, 2023

We are now past the UNFSS+2 Stocktaking Moment, which served as a mid-point assessment on the progress made since the UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the initiatives launched, the challenges encountered, and most importantly, to recalibrate strategies to meet the ambitious UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. More than two years ago, the Center for Earth Ethics formed the Faith + Food Coalition to contribute to the Summit. We hosted seven dialogues culminating in two reports, an Interfaith Statement and a reflection offered during the Summit. Our dialogues brought together

It’s not just about ecosystems. It’s about us.

August 21, 2023

Ecosystems hold a profound significance that stretches beyond their ecological contributions. They are the tapestry into which the rest of life is woven, supporting not only the survival of myriad species but also helps inform the web of values and culture that define our humanity. The notion of ecosystem restoration, then, isn’t merely about rehabilitating the environment; it’s about rediscovering and preserving the deep connection among values, culture, and the Earth. Ecosystem restoration has become a crucial endeavor in our rapidly changing world, as we grapple with the consequences of climate change, habitat loss, and biodiversity decline. While the scientific

Demonstrating Hope: Notes from COP27

November 21, 2022

It’s hard to say if the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27, was good or bad. It’s a question of perspective and orientation. What was COP27, which recently concluded in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt? COP27 was an implementation COP, meaning that it followed up on the commitments made at COP26 in Glasgow and most importantly the commitments made at COP21 in Paris in 2015. The Paris commitment to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is critical to stave off the worst impacts of the climate crisis. The difference between 1.5 degrees and 1.6 degrees of warming—let alone 1.5 degrees