Therefore, Casa Galileia, GreenFaith, the Interfaith Initiative for Tropical Forests (IRI-Brazil), and the Institute for Religious Studies (ISER) are mobilizing partners and religious leaders for this process of coordination and political advocacy.  The Sacred Climate Alliance aims to highlight the importance and potential of religious communities in Brazil in addressing the challenges of the climate emergency. We hope this activity will foster constructive dialogue and concrete actions that contribute to a more just and resilient future for all.

In August, we organized two YouTube webinars on oil exploration and deforestation with experts from INPE (National Institute for Space Research), the Arayara Institute, and ten religious and popular leaders from the Amazon and Atlantic Forest regions. 

Watch the webinars here

Based on the data and reports presented in the webinars, we drafted a Public Letter signed by religious leaders and supporting organizations, highlighting the importance of climate action and calling on government sectors to take concrete steps to achieve the 2030 targets. We urge the government to:

• Zero deforestation : Immediate and effective implementation of the Forest Code, focusing on the full protection of the Amazon, the Cerrado and all Brazilian biomes.
• The country has 873 oil and gas blocks under concession, two-thirds onshore and one-third offshore. This exploration could double, with 769 new blocks currently on offer. We demand an end to these concessions and new offers.
• Investments in Renewable Energy: Redirect investments currently allocated to fossil fuel exploration to the development of clean and renewable energy sources, which respect the premises of a just and popular transition, in line with the international climate commitments assumed by Brazil.
• Adopt a NDC compatible with keeping the planet’s average temperature rise to around 1.5 degrees Celsius and influence other countries during COP 30 to do the same.
• Demarcation of Indigenous Lands , titling of Traditional Territories, land regularization and fair agrarian reform, with a focus on food sovereignty and the promotion of agroecology, valuing family, peasant and artisanal fishing production, and the indigenous economy, guaranteeing the generation of income to combat hunger, poverty and social inequality.
• Suspension of active mineral operations and processes on indigenous lands, quilombolas and fully protected conservation units.

On Amazon Day in Brasília, September 5th, we held a meeting with six women religious leaders from different regions of Brazil , who participated in webinars and in drafting the letter to deliver the document to the executive branch. First, we held an internal meeting to align ourselves with the presentation of the letter and the action at the ministries’ esplanade.

In the afternoon, we organized an action in front of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MNE) . We registered the letter and had a spiritual moment with video recordings and photographs in front of the building. We also took a photo in front of the Congress building, a symbolic place in Brazilian politics. 

At the end of the afternoon, we had a meeting with the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva , where we were able to personally deliver the letter to the minister and each religious person present was able to choose a point from the letter to present and relate it to their reality and faith. 

Read the public letter we delivered to the minister here! 

The Sacred Climate Alliance has made significant progress in raising awareness and mobilizing faith communities to advocate for critical climate action in Brazil. In recent months, our activities, including webinars, public advocacy, and direct engagement with government leaders, have helped highlight the urgent need for change.

Through collaborative efforts with religious leaders, experts, and civil society organizations, we issued a powerful Public Letter calling for immediate action on deforestation, renewable energy investments, and Indigenous land rights, among other critical issues. The symbolic delivery of this letter, and the subsequent meeting with Minister Marina Silva, highlighted the value of interfaith collaboration in addressing the climate crisis.

To understand more about this movement, read the opinion article “Opinion: Protecting nature is a spiritual and moral duty”  here.

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We, religious leaders from diverse traditions and spiritualities, unite in this letter to express our deep concern about the successive and growing environmental tragedies our country has faced and the prospect of even worse ones in the near future. The increase in forest fires and burning in the Amazon, Pantanal, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest is destroying our biodiversity, degrading soils and water resources, exacerbating the global climate crisis, corroding our economy, and causing illness and suffering among the population.

We recognize the efforts made by the government to address these issues and restore socio-environmental governance, which was criminally weakened during the previous administration. This commitment has yielded important results, such as the significant reduction in deforestation in the Amazon. However, the country’s environmental situation remains extremely worrying and requires greater mobilization of all strategic government sectors and the involvement of state and municipal governments.

We note with great sadness that the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate, and Ministries such as Mines and Energy, Transportation, and Agriculture remain wedded to a vision of development from the past, and continue to defend mining on Indigenous Lands and oil exploration instead of prioritizing the exploitation of the country’s renewable energy potential; the paving of the BR-319 highway, which will favor the destruction of millions of hectares of the Amazon rainforest and forever affect the lives of thousands of Indigenous people living in the region; the expansion of the agricultural frontier into the Cerrado and the Amazon; and the increased use of pesticides that are extremely dangerous to human health and the environment.

Brazil occupies a leading position on the international stage. It hosts the G20 and COP 30, events that will be decisive for the commitments and impacts of environmental and climate policies on our biomes, their populations, and the future of the planet. In this context, it is unacceptable that Brazil, a country blessed with the greatest biodiversity on the planet and with such international prominence, continues to contribute to the worsening of climate change and the destruction of its most precious ecosystems. 

Religious communities have long been committed to climate and socio-environmental justice, and therefore, we join these voices to further advance the process of protecting our biodiversity and the indigenous peoples and traditional communities who are its primary guardians. Nature, in its multiple forms, is a central element in our spiritual practices and in the expression of faith of our communities. Through divine creation, we find the sacred in forests, rivers, the various elements of nature, animals, and people. As we witness the destruction of essential ecosystems, we feel that not only is nature being violated, but also the spiritual principles that guide our lives. Protecting nature is not only an environmental issue, but also a spiritual and moral duty. As religious leaders, we are committed to welcoming and caring for those who suffer the consequences of these catastrophes, but also to preventing them through environmental protection.

We therefore ask that the federal government rethink its policies on the exploitation of natural resources, placing the preservation of divine creation and the protection of human lives as a top priority, as expressed in the following demands:

• Zero deforestation: Immediate and effective implementation of compliance with the Forest Code, focusing on the comprehensive protection of the Amazon, the Cerrado, and all Brazilian biomes. 
• Currently, there are 873 oil and gas blocks under concession in the country, two-thirds of them onshore and one-third offshore. This exploration could double, with 769 new blocks currently on offer. We demand a halt to concessions and new offers. 
• Investments in Renewable Energy: Redirection of investments currently allocated to the exploration of fossil fuels towards the development of clean and renewable energy, which respect the premises of a just and popular transition, in alignment with Brazil’s international climate commitments. 
• Adoption of an NDC compatible with maintaining the rise in the planet’s average temperature at around 1.5 degrees Celsius and influencing other countries during COP 30 to do the same.
• Demarcation of Indigenous Lands, titling of Traditional Territories, land regularization, and fair agrarian reform, with a focus on food sovereignty. Promoting agroecology, valuing family, peasant, and artisanal fishing production, as well as the Indigenous economy, guaranteeing income generation to combat hunger, poverty, and social inequality.
• Suspension of active mineral operations and processes on indigenous lands, quilombolas and fully protected conservation units.

We believe these actions are necessary and, above all, urgent, to ensure that Brazil can continue to be an example to the world of how development and sustainability can go hand in hand, as a guardian of life and biodiversity. We count on your commitment and leadership to transform these demands into reality.

This document is signed by: 

Pastor Andrea Alechandre (Foursquare Gospel Church) – Rio Branco/Acre 

Dom Roque Paloschi (Archdiocese of Porto Velho) – Porto Velho/Rondônia

Maria da Rocha (Guardians of Good Living) – Lago Grande, Santarém/Pará

Mother Jô Santos (Terreiro of Saint George Tumajamacê) – São Luís/Maranhão

Rayana Burgos (Terreiros Network for the Environment) – Recife/Pernambuco

Sister Maria Irene Lopes (Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network – REPAM)

Pastor Romi Bencke (National Council of Christian Churches – CONIC)

Mametu Nangetu (Terreiro Manso Massumbando Who Who Granddaughter)

Denildo Rodrigues de Moraes (National Coordination of Articulation of Black Rural Quilombola Communities – CONAQ) 

Supporting organizations:

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The first to arrive at the scene were artisanal fishermen, members of local fishing organizations, such as the Magé Mangrove Association of Crab Harvesters and Friends (ACAMM) and the Association of Seafarers (AHOMAR). They reported the incident to environmental agencies and publicized the incident on social media, demanding urgent action to remedy the situation. 

The concern is especially great due to the crab closed season , when fishing for certain species is prohibited so they can reproduce. The mortality of these animals during this period can negatively impact the income of crab gatherers.

The Municipal Environmental Department’s remedial action involved installing containment barriers in the river to prevent the materials from spreading, but the spill was only stopped the day after the incident. The State Environmental Institute (INEA) and the Environmental Emergency Operations Management with Hazardous Products (GEROPEM) collected samples to assess the level of contamination and plan a monitoring protocol. These environmental agencies are monitoring the area to ensure residents stay away, avoiding the risk of explosions, as the materials are flammable. 

The Guanabara Bay and Maricá and Jacarepaguá Lagoon Systems Watershed Committee (CBH Baía de Guanabara) issued a statement expressing its concern about the contamination caused by the accident on the Suruí River and the potential impacts on both the ecosystem and the surrounding population. The committee is taking steps to develop a Risk Management Plan for the Watershed Region , aiming to mitigate climate and environmental damage that could affect the rivers.

The Suruí River is an important body of water that flows through the Suruí neighborhood in the municipality of Magé. It is a historical and ecological landmark of extreme importance to the local community, being one of the best-preserved rivers in Guanabara Bay, despite the environmental changes that have affected it over the past few decades.

Accidents like this highlight the vulnerability of our water bodies and the environmental injustices experienced by traditional fishing communities in their territories affected by the oil industry. In addition to the need for preventive measures against environmental damage and a collective effort to conserve these ecosystems, it is crucial that the companies responsible for these operations be held accountable for the damage caused, making concrete commitments to repair the negative impacts on the environment and the affected communities.

We stand in solidarity with fishermen, defending their rights and preserving our ecosystems, with hope and unity for a more just and sustainable future, one that is not based on dependence on the oil chain, but on alternatives that respect life and the environment.

The post Greenfaith expresses support to the artisanal fishermen and fisherwomen appeared first on GreenFaith.

On June 15th, we gathered women of faith for an intense journey of dialogue and action for climate justice. As part of the global GreenFaith movement, we explored ways to strengthen our connection to the environment in a community-based way, connecting with our faith. 

We began the morning with a warm welcome, emphasizing the importance of unity among different religious communities. We formed a dialogue circle, where each participant shared their experiences fighting for the environment and their faith. This exchange created an atmosphere of genuine connection among the women present.

The activity included the screening of a video of the Suruí Suruí River , followed by a detailed presentation of the initiatives carried out by GreenFaith Global and Brazil , talking about the stories and struggles shared in favor of nature and people in various places on the planet. 

Using photos that represent the socio-environmental imagery of Magé, especially Suruí, showing the Suruí River, mangroves, churches and squares, we address the memories of each of those present about their connection with the territory and reflect on the intersection between religion, the environment and the community.

We then reflected deeply on the impact of the oil industry on our territory and its social and climatic consequences. We also realized that for a more critical environmental education in our region, we depend on fostering a sense of belonging in people, especially children, to foster a connection with our natural and cultural elements. 

Women’s Circle held at the NGO Água Doce, on June 15, to discuss the relationship between spirituality and climate change.

The highlight was the contributions of each woman present at the panel of ideas and proposals, entitled “What can we do to change this reality as people of faith?”, such as: Simplifying access to natural points of ecological interest (transportation); Enhancing the vision of our city in relation to its natural monuments; Inserting knowledge about local ecosystems in textbooks; among others. 

We conclude with the certainty that each of you contributed significantly to strengthening our faith-based environmental movement. This activity not only strengthened our community bonds but also renewed our commitment to protecting the environment and promoting climate justice. We hope the impact of this gathering continues to reverberate, driving positive action toward a future that is possible for all.

Join us on this journey of faith for Climate Justice!

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