The Global Summit of the Religious Leaders to be held in Baku - Press-Release

Under the patronage of President Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Caucasus Muslims' Board (CMB), in collaboration with the Muslim Council of Elders, the COP29 Presidency, and Azerbaijan's State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is organizing the Global Summit of the Religious Leaders for Climate in Baku. The summit is a part of Azerbaijan's preparations for hosting COP29 and will gather about 300 representatives of the governments, senior UN officials, leaders of international organizations, prominent global religious leaders, scholars, and environmental experts from around the world.

The summit, held under the theme “World Religions for a Green Planet,” aims to emphasize the central role that religions play in global efforts to address climate change. It will highlight a unified stance among global and traditional religious leaders who stand against wars and environmental destruction and advocate for peaceful conflict resolution. The summit will also serve as a platform for dialogue among experts, academics, political and religious leaders, and representatives from public and international organizations. Discussions will focus on urgent modern challenges—particularly wars and environmental crises—to promote international cooperation in tackling climate change and to issue a united call to curb environmental disasters and uphold world peace. This collective vision calls for ending violence, reducing arms, and protecting our planet from environmental threats.

Over the course of two days, the summit will address several key issues, including religious perspectives on climate change, the role of social media and faith communities in protecting the environment, and building trust through interreligious dialogue. It will also explore the harmful impact of terrorism, religious and racial intolerance, hate incitement, and wars on the environment, peaceful communities, and natural ecosystems.

His Virtue Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, the Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims' Board and the spiritual leader of Muslims in Azerbaijan and the Caucasus, stated last year at the Abu Dhabi Global Summit of Religious Leaders on the eve of COP 28 that “in the modern era, when threats to human life, and the Earth, as well as to the environment, international stability and security are increasing, the joint efforts of political, social and religious leaders and strengthening the global dialogue to solve the fateful issues of climate change are extremely important. Appreciating this, COP 28 will be more valuable and useful as an effective international platform where the joint cooperation of state and religious representatives is practically manifested in solving global climate change problems”, he said.

Sheikhulislam stated that the Baku Global Summit of Religious Leaders on Climate in Azerbaijan will be based on the success of the previous Summit held in Abu Dhabi last year. He also emphasized the important role that religious leaders can play in raising public awareness of environmental protection, and He particularly noted the important role played by the Muslim Council of Elders, led by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayyib, in uniting the voices of faiths and science in the mission to protect our shared planet.

For his part, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, noted that the summit, scheduled for November 5-6 in Baku, represents the Council’s ongoing commitment to promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue to build a world of greater understanding, harmony, and sustainability. He highlighted the crucial role that religious leader can play in addressing global challenges, especially climate change, and praised Azerbaijan’s leadership, under President Ilham Aliyev, in advancing interfaith and intercultural dialogue. He added that Azerbaijan's initiatives have fostered a society that values peaceful coexistence, tolerance, and mutual dialogue, offering an inspiring model for fostering understanding and peace.

He further noted, “The President of Azerbaijan has declared 2024 in his country as the ‘Year of Solidarity for a Green World,” a call that aligns with the Call of Conscience: The Abu Dhabi Joint Statement for Climate, issued last year as a key outcome of the Global Summit of Religious Leaders for Climate hosted in Abu Dhabi. This solidarity encourages humanity to live in harmony with nature and work together to protect our world from climate change. We hope this summit will take another step forward in raising global awareness of climate issues.”

In 2023, as part of its mission to elevate the role of religious leaders in addressing global challenges—especially climate change—and in conjunction with the UAE’s hosting of COP28, the Muslim Council of Elders organized the Global Faith Leaders Summit for Climate on November 6-7. The summit was held in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, the COP28 Presidency, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The summit gathered representatives from 18 religions and 30 denominations from around the world, alongside scholars, environmental experts, and civil society members, including youth, women, and indigenous peoples. The event also concluded with the Call of Conscience: The Abu Dhabi Joint Statement for Climate, urging the global community to take concrete actions to address the climate crisis and protect the planet.