MCE to co-organise Global Smt. of Religious Leaders for Climate

Held under the patronage of President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the summit is part of Azerbaijan's preparations for hosting COP29 and will gather over 300 government representatives, senior UN officials, leaders of international organizations, prominent global religious leaders, scholars, and environmental experts from around the world.

The summit, held under the theme “World Religions for a Green Planet,” aims to emphasise the central role that religions play in global efforts to address climate change. It will highlight a unified stance among global and traditional religious leaders who stand against wars and environmental destruction and advocate for peaceful conflict resolution.

Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, noted that the summit, represents the Council’s ongoing commitment to promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue to build a world of greater understanding, harmony, and sustainability.

He highlighted the crucial role that religious leaders can play in addressing global challenges, especially climate change, and praised Azerbaijan’s leadership, under President Ilham Aliyev, in advancing interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

He added that Azerbaijan's initiatives have fostered a society that values peaceful coexistence, tolerance, and mutual dialogue, offering an inspiring model for fostering understanding and peace.

He further noted, “Azerbaijan has declared 2024 the ‘Year of Solidarity for a Green World,’ a call that aligns with the Call of Conscience: The Abu Dhabi Joint Statement for Climate, issued last year as a key outcome of the Global Faith Leaders Summit for Climate hosted in Abu Dhabi. This solidarity encourages humanity to live in harmony with nature and work together to protect our world from climate change. We hope this summit will take another step forward in raising global awareness of climate issues.”

For his part, His Virtue Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims' Board and spiritual leader of Muslims in Azerbaijan and the Caucasus, stated that the environmental challenges facing humanity today are among the most urgent and dangerous threats to life on Earth.

Sheikh-ul-Islam also expressed his hope that the Global Summit of Religious Leaders for Climate in Azerbaijan will build on the success of the previous summit held in Abu Dhabi last year. He praised the Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, for uniting the voices of faith and science in the mission to protect our shared planet.