8 October 2025, Castel Gandolfo, Italy
World Faith Leaders Participate in Global Ethical Stocktake for Climate Action
Ministers, activists, and interfaith leaders gathered in Italy ahead of COP30 to demand that moral leadership match scientific urgency.
Thirty-five leaders from across faiths and continents gathered on 1 October 2025 at Borgo Laudato Si’, Castel Gandolfo, for a Multifaith Global Ethical Stocktake (GES) — a self-organised contribution to the COP30 process hosted by the Laudato Si’ Movement, GreenFaith, and the Women, Faith, and Climate Network (WFCN).
Among those in attendance were Brazil’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, and former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, alongside representatives of Indigenous traditions, youth movements, and faith-based climate organisations. The session was moderated by Laura Cook, of Project Dandelion and the WFCN Steering Group.
In her opening remarks, Minister Marina Silva issued a clear call for accountability and action:
“It has been 33 years that we have promised to act on the climate, but we have not kept this promise. We already took the decisions. Now we must turn this agenda into action, commitment, and concrete results.”
The gathering formed part of the wider Global Ethical Stocktake launched by the Brazilian COP30 Presidency to examine the moral and spiritual dimensions of climate action. Participants at the Borgo Laudato Si’ event symbolically carried the voices of beings such as glaciers, whales, and human ancestors, expressing the interconnectedness of all life.
Dr. Lorna Gold, Executive Director of the Laudato Si’ Movement, said the meeting helped set the tone for what followed:
“This Global Ethical Stocktake was more than an event — it was a signal. It set the moral and spiritual tone for what followed at the Laudato Si’ anniversary ‘Raising Hope’ conference. At a time when the world feels fractured, this gathering of diverse faiths demonstrated that solidarity is not only possible, it is essential to the transformation we need.”
Mary Robinson, first woman President of Ireland, highlighted the role of faith leaders in maintaining moral courage: “Faith leaders are often among the most trusted voices in their communities. Their moral courage, especially in the face of political inertia, is vital. Civil society and faith traditions together remind us that climate action is not just about science and policy: it is about justice, compassion and moral responsibility to each other and to future generations.”
Reflecting on the spirit of the day, moderator Laura Cook, of Project Dandelion and WFCN, said “It’s easy to be cynical ahead of COPs, but we cannot afford cynicism. What we witnessed here was unity in its truest form: people of faith, many of them women, standing together with shared purpose and courage. This was not just dialogue, it was devotion in action.”
“We don’t have the luxury of time or of silence,” said Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director of GreenFaith, who participated in the day’s proceedings. “Faith communities must be a moral force for action — standing with those most affected, holding leaders accountable, and living the values we preach.”
The Multifaith GES preceded the 10th anniversary celebration of Pope Francis’s ecological encyclical Laudato Si’, where Pope Leo XIV called on global leaders to “listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.”
The outcomes from the GES will feed into the official COP30 Global Ethical Stocktake, underscoring the indispensable role of ethical, spiritual and grassroots leadership in tackling the climate crisis.
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A media folder with images and graphic designs illustrating the learnings from the GES is available here: Media_Folder_8_Oct_2025
Women, Faith, and Climate Network: The Women, Faith, and Climate Network (WFCN) works to promote transformative change to tackle the global climate and nature crisis by harnessing the power of faith — shared by 80 percent of the world’s population. The WFCN is an expression of Project Dandelion.
The Network amplifies women-led community- based climate action, scales up best practices, and fosters radical collaboration among diverse women of faith networks. Through this collective strength, WFCN supports mass mobilisation of women of faith worldwide for climate action.
GreenFaith: GreenFaith is an international, multi-faith, grassroots climate justice organization. GreenFaith works with faith communities worldwide to oppose new fossil fuel projects, advocate for fast and equitable renewable energy development and call for loss and damage commitments from historic climate polluters. With staff in 12 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas and volunteers in 40 nations, the organization is a leading interreligious voice for climate justice.
Laudato Si’ Movement: The Laudato Si’ Movement is a global Catholic organization inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, uniting over 900 organizations and thousands of grassroots members across nearly 115 countries. LSM encourages the Church to care for our common home through ecological conversion, lifestyle change, and advocacy. It supports Animators, local Chapters, and partners to build a prayerful, united Catholic response to the ecological crisis. Through its global network, LSM amplifies vulnerable voices, promotes systemic change, and strengthens the Church’s role in caring for creation
Media contacts:
- Laudato Si’ Movement:
Susana Salguero, Director of Global Communications, [email protected], +507 60 905 032 - GreenFaith:
Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director, +1-201-390-0094
Ms. Meryne Warah, Global Program Director, +254-720-252387 - Women, Faith, and Climate Network (WFCN):
Laura Cook Project Dandelion, and WFCN Steering Group Member +447 74 232 5914
[email protected]
Jean Duff WFCN Coordinator, + 353 87 719 8998