More than 180 people registered for our recent Faith, Climate and Environment webinar, co-hosted with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and PaRD. The session marked an important step in our collective journey: exploring the Living Planet Monitor (LPM), a WCC tool that documents how churches and faith-based organisations (FBOs) are advancing ecological and environmental justice.
The Living Planet Monitor
The LPM tracks commitments in areas such as land, water, food systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Alongside monitoring indicators, it also lifts up stories of hope, showing how FBOs act as resilient communities in the face of the climate emergency.
The first volume highlights initiatives from Southern and Eastern Africa, with further African regions to follow later this year and an Asia edition planned for early 2026. Data is collected regionally, and in the future partners may also contribute directly to strengthening the monitoring and updating process.
In keynote presentations, Dinesh Suna and Maike Gorsboth (WCC) highlighted the concrete contributions of churches to ecological and environmental justice,
“The Living Planet Monitor is not just data. It is a testimony of faith in action, showing what churches are already doing and how we can learn from each other.“
Dinesh Suna, WCC Programme Executive for Water, Land, and Food Advocacy
Athena Peralta, Director of the WCC Climate Justice Commission, introduced the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice (2025–2034), a call to mobilise global church action in response to the climate emergency:
“This decade is about living our faith with integrity in the face of climate crisis. From divesting church finances from harmful investments, to linking congregations with scientists, to training climate chaplains. Faith in action means leading by example.”
Athena Peralta, Director of the WCC Climate Justice Commission
Breakout discussions gave participants the chance to connect the findings of the LPM with their own work. Commitments emerging from the groups included:
- Sharing the LPM with colleagues and integrating its lessons into ongoing programmes
- Raising awareness of environmental stewardship within their networks
- Contributing stories of hope to future LPM editions
- Exploring solutions to reduce fossil fuel dependency, microplastic pollution and biodiversity loss
As Maike Gorsboth reflected, the LPM’s regional structure makes it possible to link local realities with global patterns. This perspective enables churches to respond to immediate community needs while engaging systemic challenges.
What’s Next
- Join the third Faith, Climate and Environment webinar on 10 December 2025, featuring a COP30 debrief by Dinesh Suna
- Download the soft copy of the LPM here
- Contribute to the upcoming Asia volume by sharing your organisation’s stories on land management, water conservation or food security. Contact the WCC team at infowcc@wcc-coe.org
Written by Ama Armoo
