At COP30, a Tampa pastor weighs in on environmental racism and climate justice – WUSF

Global Climate Negotiations and Multi-Sectoral Commitments

Faith-Based Organizations Drive Climate Action (SDG 13, SDG 17)

During the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, hundreds of faith-based organizations made a significant commitment to divest from fossil fuels. This action directly supports the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) by withdrawing financial support from industries contributing to climate change. It also exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), showcasing how non-governmental actors are crucial in the global transition to clean energy.

Pastor Neddy Astudillo of Tampa, a delegate from the Presbyterian Church USA, articulated the moral imperative behind this movement, stating, “We also want to assume our responsibility before God and humanity for what happens with our money and what happens to God’s creation.” This highlights a values-based approach to achieving climate goals.

Addressing Climate Justice and Inequality (SDG 10, SDG 16)

At a parallel People’s Summit, discussions centered on the intersection of climate change, human rights, and environmental racism, directly addressing SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Pastor Astudillo provided specific examples from Florida that illustrate these interconnected challenges:

• Vulnerable Workers: The difficulty in passing laws to protect migrant farm workers from increasing heat waves, which undermines rights to decent work and safety.
• Environmental Injustice: The construction of the Alligator Alcatraz detention center in a climate-vulnerable ecosystem without a prior environmental impact study or the consent of the indigenous Miccosukee people, whose lands and communities are directly affected.
• Community Impact: The negative impact of the detention center on immigrant communities fearing deportation, further marginalizing vulnerable populations.

The Role of Indigenous Peoples in Biodiversity and Climate Solutions (SDG 15, SDG 10)

The location of COP30 in the Amazon was instrumental in facilitating the participation of approximately 900 indigenous delegates. Their inclusion is critical for achieving global climate and biodiversity targets. Indigenous peoples are recognized as the caretakers of 84% of the world’s biodiversity and rainforests, making their knowledge and stewardship essential for the success of SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Ensuring their presence in negotiations is a vital step toward fulfilling SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by empowering communities whose lives, cultures, and spiritualities are most threatened by climate change.

The Importance of Inclusive Participation in Climate Negotiations

Concerns were raised regarding the accessibility and freedom of expression at upcoming climate conferences, such as the next COP in Turkey. The environment at COP30 in Brazil was noted for allowing robust public participation, including marches and social movement expressions, which is fundamental for democratic and effective climate governance.

The contrast with previous COPs held in more restrictive environments underscores the importance of an inclusive framework for global climate negotiations, a key component of building strong institutions as outlined in SDG 16.

A Call for Moral and Ethical Leadership

The report concludes with reflections on the need for a profound cultural and ethical shift to address the climate crisis. Thomas Spaulding, who attended the 1992 Earth Summit, contrasted the past stance that “the American way of life is not up for negotiation” with a new vision where prosperity is linked to planetary health. The role of faith communities is seen as pivotal in this transformation.

As a former delegate from the Philippines stated, the most critical climate battles “will not be won in the chambers of the U.N. climate talks, but in people’s hearts.” This sentiment emphasizes that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires not only policy and technology but also a fundamental change in human values and ethics.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article’s central theme is the transition to clean energy, highlighted by the commitment of faith-based organizations to “divest from climate-warming fossil fuels” and the ongoing debate at the U.N. Climate Change Conference about a “transitional path to clean energy usage.”
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article explicitly discusses “environmental racism” and the disproportionate impact of global warming on “undeserved communities.” It highlights the struggles of specific groups, such as “migrant farm workers” facing increasing heat waves and the Miccosukee people being impacted by construction without their approval, pointing directly to inequalities.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The entire context of the article is the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP30), which is a primary global mechanism for climate action. The commitment to divest from fossil fuels is a direct action to combat climate change and its impacts. The article also mentions the need to protect vulnerable communities from climate-related hazards like “increasing heat waves.”
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The article emphasizes the importance of ecosystems and biodiversity. It mentions the construction of a detention center in a “climate-vulnerable ecosystem without a prior environmental impact study on the already threatened species.” It also recognizes the crucial role of indigenous peoples as “the caretakers of 84% of the world’s biodiversity and rainforests.”
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article underscores the importance of inclusive decision-making. It highlights the value of having “many more voices to be included in the conversation,” such as the 900 indigenous delegates, and expresses concern over locations for future COPs that may not allow for “public participation: conversation and marches.” The lack of involvement of the Miccosukee people in decisions affecting their land also points to a failure in inclusive governance.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article showcases multi-stakeholder collaboration. The gathering of “hundreds of faith-based organizations worldwide” to make a collective commitment, the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change itself, and the participation of civil society groups like the Presbyterian Church USA and the YMCA are all examples of partnerships aimed at achieving climate goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  • Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology… and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology. The commitment of “hundreds of faith-based organizations… to divest from climate-warming fossil fuels” is a direct action to shift financial flows and investment towards clean energy.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. The article advocates for this by amplifying “voices from undeserved communities,” including indigenous peoples, migrant farm workers, and immigrant communities, and highlighting the importance of their presence in negotiations.
  • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome… The discussion of “environmental racism” and the specific examples of migrant farm workers lacking protection from heat waves and the Miccosukee people being ignored in development projects illustrate a failure to ensure equal opportunity and protection.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The mention of the “difficulty… of passing laws to protect migrant farm workers from the increasing heat waves” directly relates to the need to build resilience for vulnerable populations.
  • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. The role of faith communities in changing “people’s hearts” and the work of delegates like Pastor Astudillo at COP30 contribute to raising awareness and building capacity for climate action.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The article’s example of a detention center built in a “climate-vulnerable ecosystem without a prior environmental impact study on the already threatened species” highlights a direct threat to this target.
  • Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes… The lack of an “environmental impact study” and the failure to involve the Miccosukee people shows a failure to integrate these values into local planning.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The article celebrates the inclusion of “about 900 indigenous delegates” and the space for “many more voices” in Latin America, while expressing concern about the lack of “freedom for public participation” at other COPs. The lack of “involvement and approval of the Miccosukee people” is a clear example of non-inclusive decision-making at the local level.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The collaboration of “hundreds of faith-based organizations worldwide” at the U.N. conference is a prime example of a civil society partnership working towards a common goal.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• SDG 7 & 13 (Climate Action & Clean Energy)

  • Indicator (Implied): Amount of financial flows divested from fossil fuels. The article mentions the commitment of “hundreds of faith-based organizations… to divest,” which is a measurable action.

• SDG 10 & 16 (Reduced Inequalities & Strong Institutions)

  • Indicator (Explicit): Number of representatives from marginalized groups in global forums. The article explicitly states that “about 900 indigenous delegates” attended the conference in the Amazon.
  • Indicator (Implied): Level of public participation and freedom of expression at international conferences. The article contrasts the “freedom for public participation: conversation and marches” in Brazil with concerns about future COPs in other countries.
  • Indicator (Implied): Proportion of local populations involved in decision-making. The article points to a negative indicator by noting the “without the involvement and approval of the Miccosukee people.”

• SDG 15 (Life on Land)

  • Indicator (Explicit): Proportion of land area managed by indigenous peoples. The article states that “indigenous peoples are the caretakers of 84% of the world’s biodiversity and rainforests.”
  • Indicator (Implied): Number of development projects conducted without environmental impact assessments. The article provides a specific negative example: the “Alligator Alcatraz detention center… built… without a prior environmental impact study.”

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wusf.org