International Jewish eco-coalition urges real change from COP30 conference

A global coalition of Jewish climate organisations has issued a collective call to nations ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, urging parties to make “meaningful commitments” and to “put aside short-term interests and act for our collective future.”

Representatives from Jewish climate change groups in the US, UK, Israel and Australia called for steps including to “protect and restore the world’s natural ecosystems” and to “guarantee adequate finance and support to vulnerable countries and communities who bear the brunt of climate impacts”.

The organisations, which include the UK’s EcoJudaism, USA’s Jewish Earth Alliance, Israel’s Teva Ivri and Australia’s Jewish Climate Network, also committed to “work within our diverse communities…to integrate sustainability practices, educate on climate and nature literacy rooted in Jewish values, and foster ambitious individual and communal action”. They further pledged to “represent the moral voice of the Jewish people on the global stage, standing in solidarity with other faith and Indigenous voices, scientists, civil society organizations, and affected communities to demand climate justice and responsible stewardship.”

In an opinion piece for Jewish News earlier this week, Rafi Addlestone, one of the trustees of EcoJudaism, described how “the climate crisis may not be a uniquely Jewish problem, but our tradition has a lot to say about it.

“We are a people who celebrate life—who find joy and meaning in community and seek to bring blessing into the world through our actions. As risks mount and cascade, not just our way of life, but our actual lives are under threat.”

Sandy Cardin, the founder of the Global Jewry organisation, which helped convene the Jewish international climate coalition, said: “The scale of the climate crisis demands a global, unified response — and that includes the Jewish people.

“This effort moves beyond individual organizational voices to express a collective, global Jewish call for action that transcends our religious and political differences. When we collaborate across geography and tradition, we amplify our moral voice and demonstrate that the duty to save life transcends all boundaries.”

COP30, which will take place in Brazil Amazon region, is due to run from Monday 10 – Friday 21 November. The UK’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, will be attending, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron – but only around a dozen of the world’s heads of state have officially confirmed that they will attend, despite the Brazilian government having originally stated that almost 60 world leaders were expected to make the trip.