A Roman Catholic - Anglican meeting held in Brazil this November marked a pivotal moment in ecumenical climate diplomacy at COP30. Meeting in Belem's COP30 venue inside the Blue Zone, the two delegations discussed the need to align their respective strategies with the UN process, working via shared values and finding areas for collaboration. 

Among the delegations were high ranking staff of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See representing the Catholic Church including Monsignor Gabriele Pesce and Paolo Conversi from Italy, alongside Advogado Melillo Dinis do Nascimento from Brazil.  

The Anglican delegation included Archbishop Marinez Bassotto of Brazil, Archbishop Don Tamihere of Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia, Bishop Maurício Jose Araujo De Andrade of the Diocese of Brasilia, Martha Jarvis from the Anglican Communion Office, Bardia Matiu from Te Pīhopatanga o Aotearoa, and Diocese of Polynesia Vicar General Fei Tevi who serves as Climate Commissioner for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. 

Delegates concluded that education is key in addressing the global climate crisis, while each side approached the task from different angles.  

The Holy See advocates for climate education to be introduced into formal curricula at school and tertiary education levels to create ecological conversions, while the Anglican delegation presented indigenous knowledge as a fundamental form of education that provides a framework for connection of people to the environment that leads to sustainable outcomes. 

Despite differing perspectives, the commonality between the two groups was that knowledge must lead to action and education is the bridge that connects the two. 

The group also highlighted the issue of global inequity in climate finance, with 85% of the world's forest protection being undertaken by indigenous and traditional peoples of the land, yet only 15% of the financial aid raised globally directly reaching those communities. The bilateral meeting agreed reform of financial models is urgently needed to assist the groups working on the frontlines of conservation. 

The meeting reaffirmed Pope Francis' sentiment that  global Catholic and Anglican families can work together and leverage their combined influence to not only build unity and kindness, but advocate more strongly for the most vulnerable communities and care for God’s great creation. 

A message by Pope Leo XIV for COP30 was timely to reinforce the meeting's conclusions, as he called for stronger willpower by the global leaders to commit to the Paris Agreement.  

"True leadership means service and support at a scale that will truly make a difference,” said Pope Leo XIV, urging nations to recommit to the Paris Agreement. 

“We are guardians of creation, not rivals for its spoils,” he added, as he called for global solidarity.

Watch His Holiness Pope Leo's full message here https://youtu.be/3LVfUxzT7Mw