COP 28 - 'some progress - but much to do' 

Christian organisations have shared a mixed response to the latest United Nations climate conference, which closed in Dubai on Wednesday (13 December)

Countries at COP 28 agreed on the need to 'transition away' from fossil fuels in energy systems 'in a just, orderly and equitable manner.' However the deal doesn't compel countries to take action, and no timescale is specified.

The agreement includes global targets to triple the capacity of renewable energy like wind and solar power, and to double the rate of energy efficiency improvements.

Dave Gregory, Convenor of BUEN (The Baptist Union Environment Network) writes, 'As COP28 concludes with an agreement, that while it may not fully meet the urgency of the climate crisis, for the first time mentions transitioning away from fossil fuels, and with small steps in providing loss and damage funding to vulnerable nations affected by climate change today, I’d like to thank the over 200 people and churches who have prayed with BUEN over the past weeks using the COP28 Prayer video.

'As with previous COPs, there remains much to do for the nations and peoples of the world to respond to the climate crisis in a meaningful, equitable and just way.  

So please continue to join with BUEN to:

• Pray – Giving thanks for hopeful actions, and asking God to bring justice for people and the Earth and to break the bonds that enslave the world to using fossil fuels
• Push – National leaders to work together with greater urgency to transition to a more sustainable and equitable path for the future.  And for our churches and church leaders to give greater priority to sharing in God’s mission to the whole of creation.
• Participate – Hearing and responding to the call to be “Whole Earth Disciples” in our living, our churches and communities, bringing God’s peace and hope now and for the future.

Click here to find out more about BUEN.


International Christian charity Tearfund said the talks had made 'a notable step towards a flourishing world - but not the giant leap towards climate justice that campaigners hoped for.'

Tearfund Ambassador and Climate Scientist, Laura Young, said, 'The final outcome of the UN climate talks has shifted the dial though it falls short of the landmark energy agreement that would have hailed the end of the fossil fuel era. 

'The result is a mixed bag of transitioning away from fossil fuels whilst opening the door to dangerous distractions and weakening of past commitments. 

'We should applaud that countries have pledged to triple renewables and double energy efficiency by 2030, but unless coal, oil and gas are phased out at the same time, we'll continue to fuel climate disaster.

'Despite this mixed outcome, we’ve seen unprecedented support for the clean energy transition. 

'The science is clear, the solutions exist and the momentum is growing. Leaders and negotiators also publicly recognised, with greater honesty and clarity than ever before, the vital need to end the fossil fuel era. The scales are starting to tip, but the hour is late. The longer we delay decisive action the greater the cost of our inaction will be for all of us and people living in poverty most of all.

'No conference or organisation alone can deliver the full weight of climate justice. We need leaders who will step up to their responsibilities everyday and at every level - international, national and local - with courage and longer term thinking. Words and good intentions are not enough if repeated promises are not kept. The road to the flourishing world we all want to see is paved with hard work, accountability and justice.' 


Reacting to the final outcome at COP28, Joab Okanda, Christian Aid’s Senior Climate Advisor, said,

'It is clear that the era of fossil fuels is coming to a close. We may not have driven the nail into the coffin here at COP28 but the end is coming for dirty energy. But there is a gaping hole on finance to actually fund the transition from dirty to clean energy in developing countries. Without that, we risk the global shift being much slower. 

'We now need to see rich countries following up their warm words about wanting a fossil fuel phase out with actions to actually bring it about and end their use of coal, oil and gas by the end of this decade. 

'Rich fossil fuel using countries like the UK will need to decarbonise first, with middle income countries going next and then the poorest countries after that.

'There’s also a huge gap in terms of funding to help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change.  The issue of climate finance in general will now need to be the major focus at the next meeting in Baku in Azerbaijan next year.

'The desperate attempts of fossil fuel interests to prevent a stronger outcome in Dubai has revealed just how worried they are about the coming decarbonisation of the global economy.'


International aid agency World Vision issued the following statement:

'For the first time, world leaders, and governments at COP28 have cast a spotlight on the often-overlooked impact of climate change on children's health and well-being. By proposing an 'expert dialogue’ on this for the next COP it marks a pivotal step towards change for those children bearing the harsh brunt of climate chaos,' said David Westwood, Director of Policies and Programmes at World Vision UK. 

'Governments must move from mere rhetoric to tangible actions. World Vision UK urges the UK Government to implement the agreements reached at COP28. We also call on the UK Government to engage with children and young people around the world and to support the ‘Expert Dialogue’ process so that voices of the most vulnerable children can be heard.' 

Another first at COP was the acknowledgment of the importance of faith and faith communities in addressing climate change. World Vision participated in several events at the first ever “COP Faith Pavilion”, where representatives from faith groups from around the world discussed their contributions to addressing the impacts of the climate crisis at the community level. Taissa, a 13-year-old Indigenous girl from Brazil, was part of the World Vision delegation to COP and was able to share her insights with world leaders. In an event on food security, Taissa urged action to address the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on food, noting that, 'hunger caused by climate change is removing the dignity of people.' 

COP ended with a strong focus on the need for the world to transition away from fossil fuels, responsible for the majority of historic and current greenhouse gas emissions, and major commitments on funding for “Loss and Damage” caused by climate change. There was also increased commitments to fund efforts to adapt to climate change and a commitment to triple support for renewable energy. These are all significant outcomes that we want to see fully implemented. 

Looking ahead, World Vision UK is pleased that the final COP28 outcomes include greater recognition of the importance of child empowerment and participation as children are disproportionately impacted by climate change and their rights have not been given sufficient focus in past agreements. David Westwood concluded, 'We are committed to working with children to make sure the promises from COP28 happen. We want to give children and youth a bigger role in future talks and decisions, as this planet also belongs to them.' 


Earlier in the talks World Vision expressed its support for the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action. 

The NGO said this ground-breaking commitment is 'a significant stride towards a sustainable future', and it applauded the 134 countries that have pledged to fully incorporate food and food systems into the next round of their nationally determined contributions. 

In welcoming this declaration, World Vision said it hopes for accelerated innovations that will not only support farming communities but also safeguard livelihoods and contribute to the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions, which presently account for a third of global emissions. 

Mary Njeri, World Vision Global Hunger Response Director, said 'The commitment made by these nations is poised to enhance access to finance, scale up resilience efforts, and promote global food security. 

'This declaration is an excellent opportunity to integrate food security work with climate action, as both are closely interlinked and interdependent. 

'Our latest research on the impact of climate on conflict and hunger underscores that a healthy environment is indispensable for sustainable agricultural production. I truly hope that signatories will invest the resources required to implement the commitment and have a way to track and report progress.'