We have reached the home stretch of COP26: UN Climate talks and there has been no shortage of big promises. If you haven’t been keeping up with COP, allow me to draw your attention to what I think are some pretty significant highlights. Collected and written by Olivia Yates, a member of Karakia for our Climate (K4OC).

Over 100 world leaders have pledged to ending and reversing deforestation by 2030, a historic deal that covers 85% of Earth's forests and recognises the role of Indigenous people in protecting forests. The joint statement was backed by Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which collectively account for 85 percent of the world's forests.

More than 40 world leaders – including from US, India, Australia, Turkey, the EU and China – have agreed on a UK-led plan to increase worldwide access to affordable, renewable energy and clean technology by 2030.

At least 25 other countries, development banks and national groupings pledged to end public finance for new fossil fuel exploration and production overseas by the end of 2022. But big international fossil fuel funders including China, Japan and South Korea have not signed the commitment.

At this stage, these promises are merely ‘talk’ and we have yet to see these words in action and safeguarded by long term, binding policies. Folks from all over the world have responded with doubt and distrust and have taken their concerns to the streets. Several thousand young people, their parents, grandparents and teachers marched into central Glasgow at a Fridays for Future rally. The climate activist Greta Thunberg slammed COP26 as a ‘failure’ and a ‘PR event’. “The leaders are not doing nothing, they are actively creating loopholes and shaping frameworks to benefit themselves and to continue profiting from this destructive system.”

Brianna Fruean, a 23-year-old activist from Samoa living in Aotearoa, again took the stage, “My biggest fear is losing my country... I've seen the floods go into our homes, and I've scooped out the mud.”

It’s high time to move from words to action at the rate our global temperatures are rising.

Oxfam revealed that the carbon dioxide emissions of the richest 1% of humanity are on track to be 30 times greater than what is compatible with keeping global heating below 1.5C.

An updated UN analysis found that global carbon emissions are on track to rise by 13.7% by 2030. That is in stark contrast to the 50% cut that is needed by then to retain the possibility of keeping global temperature rise to 1.5C and avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis.

It’s easy to feel so powerless and despairing in the face of these facts and the track records of our global leaders. But we must do our best to not lose hope and to do all that we can in our local communities to ensure our neighbours, particularly the health and wellbeing of the marginalised are prioritised. Karakia for our Climate’s Elise and Olivia speak more into this hope in an article written for the Christian blog, Metanoia. Simultaneously, we must hold prayer for the integrity of the global leaders - that they remain true to their words and act with bold urgency and gentle compassion.

Each day of the conference, Karakia for our Climate has led nightly prayer vigils on Zoom as well as morning emails to summarise the outcomes so far and to suggest various prayer points.

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This Friday, 12 November we hope to gather in person to pray in vigil for the end of COP26 at the same time as other Christians across Aotearoa. We will meet at Anvil House, Level 2, 138 Wakefield St, Wellington. All ages are welcome for interactive prayer. See the Facebook event for more details.