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Climate champion joins faith reps at COP26

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Climate Change Champion, Julia Edwards, is representing the Church in Wales at the COP26 summit in Glasgow this week. Accountability and hope are the two key messages Christians have for world leaders, she says.

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The two-week long COP26, the UN climate talks being held in Glasgow, is a strange beast; it divides a small section of the city into two coloured zones – blue for the UN negotiations north of the River Clyde and on the southern banks, green for ‘ticketed’ civil society and the public. Additionally, there is a plethora of other climate events doted around the city. If you have ever visited Edinburgh during the Fringe, you may have a sense of the range of activities on offer. But this time they are focused on the Climate Challenge, although the actual event, COP26, is largely being ignored by the locals, who may be wondering what all the fuss is about. You too might be wondering that and also what is the Church in Wales’ rep. actually doing north of the border.Faith groups feature highly in the ‘other activities’ agenda and also, accredited faith representatives can effectively lobby and influence world leaders and negotiators. Accountability and hope are key Christian messages.Since arriving on Monday evening, I have attended early morning prayer sessions, mid-morning discussion panels with faith representatives from the north and global south, and a green church show case (organised by the Church Times and the Church of England), met up with Gethin Rhys of Churches Together in Wales to compare notes, had a day in the green zone, attended a Faith in Action session on carbon-neutral cities, and met with my counterparts from the Church of England. But I have also been prevented from meeting with others who I wished to meet as they have been unable to leave the blue zone – an area from which I am banned and they are cocooned for fear of the length of the queues to get back having left – you might have seen the news articles describing the 90 minutes wait! Add to the above, the various protestors and activists found in gatherings, vigils and song that need negotiating, you might get the sense that the programme feels a little chaotic and full on.Not withstanding, I want to highlight one emotional, reflective gathering on Tuesday evening at St George’s Tron. ‘Faiths in Action for Climate Justice’ was an event where global activists, youth and leaders, representing hundreds of thousands of people, presented their pledges for Climate Justice to political leaders. Disappointingly, no political leaders were present to hear the heart-felt calls and commitments, despite the invites.What was particularly touching though was amid the messages and messengers on the stage was a model boat; and the sails of the boat were the sections of sail that walkers of the Young Christian Climate Network (YCCN) had carried from Truro to Glasgow over the last five months. And in the middle of the display was a painted jib - the section of the sail that had been so lovingly painted and dutifully carried by young people and representatives from the Church in Wales and others through South Wales to Bristol in early July.We live in one small, interconnected world, a world where we can all share in each other’s hardships, joys and hope. “I am because you are….”Find out more about the Church in Wales' net zero carbon campaign