Brazil faces significant challenges related to climate change, including deforestation in the Amazon, rising greenhouse gas emissions, and adverse impacts on local communities. Religious communities play an important role in Brazilian society and have the potential to influence public opinion and government policies regarding the environment.
Therefore, Casa Galileia, GreenFaith, the Interfaith Initiative for Tropical Forests (IRI-Brazil), and the Institute for Religious Studies (ISER) are mobilizing partners and religious leaders for this process of coordination and political advocacy. The Sacred Climate Alliance aims to highlight the importance and potential of religious communities in Brazil in addressing the challenges of the climate emergency. We hope this activity will foster constructive dialogue and concrete actions that contribute to a more just and resilient future for all.
In August, we organized two YouTube webinars on oil exploration and deforestation with experts from INPE (National Institute for Space Research), the Arayara Institute, and ten religious and popular leaders from the Amazon and Atlantic Forest regions.
Based on the data and reports presented in the webinars, we drafted a Public Letter signed by religious leaders and supporting organizations, highlighting the importance of climate action and calling on government sectors to take concrete steps to achieve the 2030 targets. We urge the government to:
- Zero deforestation : Immediate and effective implementation of the Forest Code, focusing on the full protection of the Amazon, the Cerrado and all Brazilian biomes.
- The country has 873 oil and gas blocks under concession, two-thirds onshore and one-third offshore. This exploration could double, with 769 new blocks currently on offer. We demand an end to these concessions and new offers.
- Investments in Renewable Energy: Redirect investments currently allocated to fossil fuel exploration to the development of clean and renewable energy sources, which respect the premises of a just and popular transition, in line with the international climate commitments assumed by Brazil.
- Adopt a NDC compatible with keeping the planet’s average temperature rise to around 1.5 degrees Celsius and influence other countries during COP 30 to do the same.
- Demarcation of Indigenous Lands , titling of Traditional Territories, land regularization and fair agrarian reform, with a focus on food sovereignty and the promotion of agroecology, valuing family, peasant and artisanal fishing production, and the indigenous economy, guaranteeing the generation of income to combat hunger, poverty and social inequality.
- Suspension of active mineral operations and processes on indigenous lands, quilombolas and fully protected conservation units.
On Amazon Day in Brasília, September 5th, we held a meeting with six women religious leaders from different regions of Brazil , who participated in webinars and in drafting the letter to deliver the document to the executive branch. First, we held an internal meeting to align ourselves with the presentation of the letter and the action at the ministries’ esplanade.
In the afternoon, we organized an action in front of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MNE) . We registered the letter and had a spiritual moment with video recordings and photographs in front of the building. We also took a photo in front of the Congress building, a symbolic place in Brazilian politics.
At the end of the afternoon, we had a meeting with the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva , where we were able to personally deliver the letter to the minister and each religious person present was able to choose a point from the letter to present and relate it to their reality and faith.
Read the public letter we delivered to the minister here!
The Sacred Climate Alliance has made significant progress in raising awareness and mobilizing faith communities to advocate for critical climate action in Brazil. In recent months, our activities, including webinars, public advocacy, and direct engagement with government leaders, have helped highlight the urgent need for change.
Through collaborative efforts with religious leaders, experts, and civil society organizations, we issued a powerful Public Letter calling for immediate action on deforestation, renewable energy investments, and Indigenous land rights, among other critical issues. The symbolic delivery of this letter, and the subsequent meeting with Minister Marina Silva, highlighted the value of interfaith collaboration in addressing the climate crisis.
To understand more about this movement, read the opinion article “Opinion: Protecting nature is a spiritual and moral duty” here.