In the first of a series of communications on COP30, published in March, the President of the Conference, Ambassador André Correa do Lago, introduced the Global Ethics Review (BEG). The project hears from thinkers, scientists, religious leaders, artists, philosophers and traditional communities about the ethical commitments necessary in the face of the climate crisis.
In his letter, he quotes the French humanist François Rabelais: “Science without conscience is merely the destruction of the soul.”
This initiative is inspired by the Global Assessment, a mechanism provided by the Paris Agreement to assess the progress countries are making towards their greenhouse gas reduction goals.
When she heard about this announcement, American Karina Gore, director of the Center for Earth Ethics (CEE) dedicated to the intersection of ethics, faith and environmental justice, made herself available to contribute and was invited to co-lead the North American Dialogue, a regional meeting within the initiative.
During the year, BEG promoted events on all continents, bringing together diverse political, social and spiritual traditions, and arguing that true environmental transformation requires a global ethical charter. Karina, the daughter of Al Gore, the former US Vice President, became one of his main supporters.
It celebrates the participation of Robert Bullard, known as the “Father of Environmental Justice” for his pioneering work showing how low-income and minority communities are disproportionately affected by environmental damage.
On this occasion, Karina says, Pollard spoke about the principles of environmental justice formulated at the first National Conference on Environmental Leadership of Non-White People, in 1991, in Washington, and noted that he was among those who traveled to Rio de Janeiro shortly after, where they realized that the work carried out was already understood and welcomed in Eco-92.
“It was extraordinary to hear Pollard remember and teach about these principles and the leadership that emanates from people living in the United States of America, even in times like today,” Karina says.
In 2016, Karina was arrested while participating in a peaceful protest against the construction of a gas pipeline in Boston. The action condemned the expansion of fossil infrastructure while heat waves, such as the one that killed more than a thousand people in Pakistan, were already leaving their mark. “We lay in the trench of a gas pipeline, referring to the mass graves in Pakistan, and refused to leave in peaceful protest,” he recalls.
Following the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), Karina stresses that BEG should not be viewed as an isolated event, where results are recorded in a single moment. “It serves as a catalyst, a turning point, and can become a milestone capable of influencing what comes next.”
How have faith and religion shaped your professional and personal path?
I grew up in church. I was raised in a Protestant Christian tradition and am very interested in different spiritual and religious traditions. Therefore, I sought dialogues and experiences with Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist as well as indigenous traditions.
I went on to study the way history is shaped and how societies are organized. I fully believe that faith, religion, and spirituality are an integral part of the human experience.
What have you learned about what these different religions have in common?
There is a sense of humility and reverence in religious traditions because they tend to focus on something greater than us as individuals or as human beings.
I believe that these convergences between different religious traditions can be important allies. They help broaden our horizons in the face of the climate crisis, because they remind us of relationship, reciprocity and interdependence.
In the United States, a survey showed that evangelical Christians are among the religious groups most likely to express doubts about the climate crisis, while fundamentalists claim that the future is in God’s hands. From your perspective on ethics and destiny, how can denial and negativity be effectively addressed?
Evangelical Christian expression is complex. There are multiple traditions.
We need to understand what people’s belief systems are. Too often, we talk top-down, without recognizing the nuances of these beliefs. If someone believes in the end times, the second coming of Jesus, or the rapture, there can still be shared values in that conversation.
The question is: If this is that person’s hypothesis, what are the core values that Jesus stood for that should now guide his work? Instead of excluding or ridiculing these views, we need messengers from these same communities, capable of dialogue from within. Otherwise, we will miss the opportunity to identify points of convergence and alignment.
How do interfaith or interfaith initiatives influence the climate agenda and enhance public debate?
A great example of this is the 10th anniversary of “Laudato Si” (Pope Francis’ encyclical), which is being celebrated throughout this year. It was published just before COP21 and has stimulated discussions within faith communities. When it was launched, it affected the Paris Agreement, something that many heads of state have acknowledged. The language was beautiful and inspiring, brought profound cultural criticism, and encouraged other spiritual dialogues.
Other initiatives include “Al-Mizan: Charter for Earth,” which brings together Muslim scholars and Islamic institutions to reaffirm the principles of nature protection in the face of current challenges. There are many rabbinical pronouncements or statements issued by various Jewish organizations.
The World Parliament of Religions also plays an important role. I did speak there, in a space where issues of colonialism and Christianity were openly discussed and where indigenous people were able to voice their criticisms and participate actively.
These interfaith dialogues with indigenous peoples are particularly powerful. We are going through a very difficult time in the United States, to say the least. However, it is worth noting that in the previous administration, important legislation was approved, the Inflation Control Act, which included several climate-related provisions, which was influenced, at least in part, by the actions of religious groups.
like Do you understand what ethics is and how your center works today on projects focused on the climate crisis?
Land ethics is not an exact science, but an exercise in discernment about how we live in relation to the living planet. Historically, morality becomes stronger when laws and social norms conflict with a deeper moral meaning, as in the case of slavery, which was legally and socially acceptable but came to be seen as morally unacceptable. This process of change is also necessary now in the face of the climate crisis, because most of the causes of the problem are legal and even motivated.
Therefore, we have to move to deeper values. The climate crisis reveals a fundamental conflict: our economic system is destroying the basis of life, and we need to redefine what we understand by success, progress, and wealth, because today these values conflict with what sustains life.
Land ethics expands our “circle of moral concerns” by including three groups historically excluded from decisions: the poor and marginalized, future generations, and non-human life. These three empty chairs should be present in every room where climate decisions are made. If they had been taken into consideration from the beginning, our choices would have been wiser.
Ethics must also be understood as the place where we seek to diagnose disease, not just treat symptoms. To illustrate this difference, I am reminded of Dom Helder Camara’s phrase: “When I feed the poor, they call me a saint; when I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.” It shows how it is more convenient to respond to events than to investigate their root causes.
After climate disasters, communities are often mobilized in beautiful and supportive ways, but it will also be necessary to use the same energy to confront the forces that make storms stronger and stronger.
like Have you been involved in BEG and what is your role in this process?
When I read the first message from the COP 30 Presidency, I thought the idea was excellent. I was already impressed by Minister Marina Silva, and was even more excited when I learned that the initiative was hers.
I asked the COP30 leadership to inform them that Central and Eastern Europe is already working in this direction and made myself available to contribute. I have been invited to co-lead the dialogue in North America. I was very honored by this invitation.
Although the official dialogues have ended, they have not actually ended. Rather, they are a process in the process of permanent construction.
What are the key elements of BEG and how do they impact climate negotiations?
BEG is an important tool because it allows us to bring elements of culture, spirituality, science, faith, indigenous traditions and different worldviews to guide climate decisions. It included at least three central elements.
The first is a profound call for a shift in consciousness about humanity’s relationship with nature: recognizing that we are just one of many species on a living planet, and that transforming the systems that fuel the climate crisis can improve our health and well-being.
The second element is a clear recognition of the obstacles, especially the role played by the fossil industry. There have been recent developments in the COP process by finally naming fossil fuels as a problem, but it is essential to acknowledge that the sector is actively working to prevent collective decisions, influencing universities and charities, and trying to prevent the shift to renewable energy through pressure and disinformation campaigns.
The third is the need to change the way the climate crisis is communicated, incorporating more narratives, music, humor and stories that connect with people in a human and direct way.
These three elements – awareness, clarity about obstacles, and new forms of communication – help shape what BEG can add to the climate action agenda.
What is BEG’s agenda at COP30 and what did they hope to achieve at the conference?
We had a booth in the Blue Zone, and the TED Countdown House (an organized house outside the formal COP space) in Belém also served as a collaborative space. In addition, several other informal dialogues took place.
What has been said about BEG is that it works like a movement of movements. I realize that movements become truly powerful because they are made up of people and communities, each with their own culture, and carrying a lot of heart and soul.
This is what attracts me to Brazil: I feel very strong in heart and soul. The “motion of movements” cannot be captured in a single moment. Your results do not appear on a specific day or even within two weeks of COP. It serves as a catalyst, a turning point.
X-ray | Karina Gore, 52
She is the founder and executive director of the Center for Earth Ethics (CEE) at Union Theological Seminary, where she is also Professor of Practice in Land Ethics. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University’s Climate School and the UN Harmony with Nature Program Expert Network. He graduated from Harvard University, received a juris doctorate from Columbia University and a master’s degree in social ethics from Union Theological Seminary.