The convening of the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, posed a significant challenge to the participation of many young people worldwide due to the high cost of travel and accommodation and the difficulty of reaching the conference site. This was clearly reflected in the decline of youth attendance from the Middle East and North Africa this year, pushing youth movements and coalitions to search for alternative ways to influence the process, through virtual events or by sending a limited number of representatives to ensure their voices and messages on achieving a just energy transition continue to be heard.
Calls for Fair Islamic Finance
Nouhad Awwad, Campaign Coordinator at Ummah for Earth at Greenpeace MENA—a youth coalition working to integrate religious values into climate action—said that every year they organize campaigns during the COP, including digital actions and some on-ground activities. Their slogan this year is “Finance a climate resilient earth.” The campaign calls for signing a petition urging the Global North to fund climate adaptation efforts effectively and encourages religious leaders to play a stronger role in climate action, given their influence within communities. The campaign also advocates the use of Islamic finance tools—such as green sukuk, Zakat funds, and Takaful—to support climate adaptation, renewable energy, and resilience.
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