PHILIPPINE INTERFAITH SUMMIT ON CLIMATE EMERGENCY
THEME: “Interfaith Divestment, towards a climate-smart and resilient Philippines”
24 November 2020 | 2:00 – 5:00 PM | Via Zoom

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Philippine Interfaith Summit on Climate Emergency 2020 is a three-hour and thirty-minute virtual event which will be a platform for different religions and religious denominations in the Philippines to discuss how their respective religious doctrines and traditions talk about the morality and spirituality of caring for the planet through divestment from fossil fuels and other environmentally destructive industries.

This will also serve as an avenue where they can discuss possible collective actions to contribute in accelerating local climate action.

The Philippine Interfaith Summit on Climate Emergency 2020 aims to:
1. Learn and understand different religious doctrines and practices in the context of caring for our common home through financial investments;
2. Raise the awareness and consciousness of religious leaders and its members about the vital role of financial investments play in fueling the climate crisis;
3. Build the capacity of religious leaders and their organizations in taking climate action through green and sustainable financial investments;
4. Unify different religions and religious denominations in the Philippines into a movement that will take collective and strategic action to address the ecological crisis.

The Philippine Interfaith Summit on Climate Emergency 2020 will be comprised of:
1. A keynote speech on the role of faith communities in making climate-smart and resilient Philippines possible;
2. Panel discussion on the challenges and success of divestment initiatives around the world;
3. Moderated virtual dialogue where faith leaders will share their respective religious doctrines and practices in relation to the morality and spirituality of caring for the planet through divestment from fossil fuels and other environmentally destructive industries;
4. and a virtual press conference.

RATIONALE

The world’s leading climate scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change already warned that there are only ten years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5°C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

For faith communities, the issue is about stewardship: God created the world and entrusted its care to humans. We should, therefore, take steps, not only to protect that creation, but also to protect the poor, who will suffer the consequences of the climate crisis in the coming years.

In May 2020, 42 faith institutions from 14 different countries committed to divest their finances from fossil fuels while at the same time calling for the post-pandemic economic recovery to shift the world toward a low-carbon future. The largest-ever joint announcement of divestment from fossil fuels from faith institutions.

These institutions are a mix of Methodist, Anglican, Quaker, Buddhist and Catholic, the latter accounting for 24 of the divesting groups. Seven are located in Ireland and five in South America. They include eight lay organizations, eight religious orders, and four dioceses: The Diocese of São José dos Campos, Brazil; the Archdiocese of Semarang, Indonesia; the Diocese of Ossory, Ireland; and the Diocese of Arundel and
Brighton, England.

In the Philippines, more than 86 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, six percent belong to various nationalized Christian organizations, and another two percent belong to well over 100 Protestant denominations. In addition to the Christian majority, there is a vigorous four percent Muslim minority.

Divestment from destructive industries such as coal-fired power, mining, and plastic production are crucial in addressing climate change and upholding the commitments to reduce carbon emissions set in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The Philippine Interfaith Summit on Climate Emergency 2020 aims to be a platform for different religions and religious denominations in the Philippines to discuss possible collective and strategic action to contribute in the government efforts to accelerate local climate action.

DATE, TIME, VENUE, AND PARTICIPANTS

Date                           24 November 2020 (Tuesday)
Time                          2: 00 – 5:00 PM (3 Hours)
Venue                        via Zoom
Participants             Virtual Dialogue Delegates
15 - 20 faith leaders representing different religions and faith communities.
Observers
250 - 300 individuals coming from different religions and faith communities, representing organizations and institutions who are interested to support the process and learn from the dialogue and panel discussions.

PROVISIONAL PROGRAM AND SPEAKERS

2:00 - 2:05 pm          Preliminaries
Interfaith Prayer - Video
Philippine National Anthem - Video

2:05 - 2:10 pm          Opening Message
MOST REV. EDWIN A. DE LA PEÑA, MSP, D.D. *TBC
Head, CBCP - Episcopal Commission on Interreligious Dialogue

2:10 - 2:15 pm          Inspirational Message
SEC. EMMANUEL M. DE GUZMAN *TBC
Vice-Chairman and Executive Director,
Climate Change Commission

2:15 - 2:20 pm          Context Building: Interfaith Divestment, towards a climate-smart and resilient Philippines
RODNE R. GALICHA
Executive Director,
Living Laudato Si’ Philippines
*Recap video of the Interfaith Summit on Climate Emergency 2019

2:20 - 2:30 pm          Keynote Speech: The vital role of faith communities in achieving climate-smart and resilient world
HIS EMINENCE PETER TURKSON *TBC
Prefect, Vatican Dicastery for Promoting
Integral Human Development

2:30 - 3:15 pm          Panel Discussion: Interfaith Divestment—a moral and spiritual responsibility
Panelists *TBA
Muslim
Buddhist
Jewish
Hindu
Moderator
REV. FLETCHER HARPER
Executive Director, GreenFaith

3:15 - 4:50 pm          Interfaith Common Action: A moderated virtual dialogue on sustainable investments
Delegates *TBA
15-20 Faith leaders
Moderator
PROF. JOAN CHRISTI TROCIO-BAGAIPO *TBC
Institute of Religion, Royal and Pontifical
University of Santo Tomas

4:50 - 4:55 pm          Presentation of the consolidated dialogue outputs, commitments, and resolutions
JOHN LEO ALGO
Program Manager,
Living Laudato Si’ Philippines

4:55 - 5:00 pm          Closing Remarks
DR. LILIAN SISON *TBC
Secretary General, Religions for Peace Philippines
Uniharmony Partners Manila

5:00 pm                      Photo op

5:30 pm onwards     Virtual Press Conference