By Faith Snipes, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow
The annual United Nations climate summit is taking place for a second year without official U.S. government participation. “Lutherans around the world are seeing the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on our communities in real-time. We’ve heard from ELCA congregations about how they’re making great strides in embracing sustainability and climate resilience,” shared Julian Daniel, an ELCA Witness in Society official observer of the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP31) taking place in Antalya, Türkiye from Nov. 9-20, 2026. “Attending COP lets us bring lessons from environmental leaders worldwide to make change in our local communities.”
What is the U.N. Climate Change Conference?
Like COP31, the United Nations Climate Change Conferences are the world’s only multilateral decision-making forum on climate change. World leaders and negotiators from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) member states gather to advance global action on the climate crisis. Accredited observers will also attend to share best practices, lived experiences and advocacy, including business leaders, youth, scientists, civil society and more. From the 1992 Rio Summit that established the UNFCCC to the present day, faith communities have been present as official observers.
Lutherans at COP31
With some in-person and others in an online COP cohort, Lutherans will be present at COP31, building on a legacy of faithful advocacy and advancing the moral voice for safeguarding God’s creation. ELCA leaders are hosting and contributing to several panels.
- Nov. 10 – “Sacred Trust, Local Action: Bridging Faith, Climate and Community-Led Resilience,” moderated by the ELCA Middle East and North Africa Program Director in partnership with representatives from the Lutheran World Federation and the Environmental Education Center, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. Drawing from field experience across vulnerable regions, speakers explore determination of decision-makers and the importance of ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation genuinely benefiting the people and places most affected by climate change.
- Nov. 16 – A “High Level Faith and Climate Roundtable” with the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), hosted by the ELCA and Bread for the World with members of Congress present. Ways faith communities can help advance U.S. climate contributions, especially in the U.S., is discussed with particular focus on food security and disaster response policy opportunities that address climate issues.
- Nov. 19 – “All In at Home and Abroad: Faith Communities as Subnational Actors,” hosted by the ELCA and partners with a presentation by Bishop David C. Nagler, ELCA Pacifica Synod. Faith bodies own hundreds of thousands of buildings across the United States and are taking subnational action such as cutting energy use. This and the potential of faith communities being among the most widely distributed institutions in the world, with networks that reach beyond borders, will be explored.
While these participants advocate in-person, the 2026 Faith Community Online COP31 Cohort will be listening to speeches or events at challenging hours due to the time difference (like 3 a.m.!) but following tracks to share what they’ve learned with the group. Tracks include food security, water, conflict, equity and others. The cohort will publish reflections and plan a broader engagement activity in their respective communities.
Why Do Lutherans Show Up?
For many faith communities, mitigating the climate crisis and working toward climate solutions are opportunities to serve the neighbor, promote justice and live out faith-based convictions. ELCA social teaching also emphasizes hope. “Our church, then, views the present reality and the future we are moving into with grave concern but also is empowered by a vision of flourishing and hope as God’s invitation to join God’s action toward healing the earth,” reads the ELCA social message “Earth’s Climate Crisis” (p.17).
Please keep the witness and advocacy of Lutherans and all participants in COP31 in prayer. And be encouraged that faith perspectives and experiences, alongside other voices for climate justice, are showing up and working to shape a sustainable future.
More Information
Look for views from COP31 on @ELCAadvocacy and @TexasImpact. Texas Impact is in the ELCA-affiliated State Public Policy Office network. Lutheran World Federation, which also has presence at COP31, will also share reporting including on socials @LutheranWorld.
Lutheran participants in COP31 will share what they experienced, spoke to and learned in a webinar scheduled for Feb. 3, 2027, at 3 p.m. ET. Register for “Voices of Faith in Climate Action: COP31 and Beyond” at https://bit.ly/ELCAwebinarCOP31 .
