Save Children’s Lives: Climate-Responsible Banking

Event

Save Children’s Lives: Climate-Responsible Banking

Organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI), the webinar will provide an update on the 9 May 2022 statement on Climate-Responsible Finance and commitments made on the five calls to action.

Participants in the Fridays for Future march in Glasgow, UK, 5 November 2021, during COP26. Fridays for Future is a worldwide movement born when Greta Thunberg started standing outside the Swedish parliament with a sign that said “school strike for climate” in August 2018. Other activists followed and it is now a worldwide movement with children all over the planet taking part. Many young people and families joined the demonstration with signs.

A webinar entitled “Save Children’s Lives: Climate-Responsible Banking“ on 3 July will increase awareness of how investments into new fossil fuel expansion imperil the wellbeing of children, youth, and future generations, to advance actions of faith-based actors and hold accountable those investing in fossil fuels.

The event will ensure youth participation and highlight the consequences of fossil fuel financing on young people’s mental health, with a focus on ways to address root causes.

Besides introducing the climate-responsible financial choices and sharing insights on their changing legal landscape, the event will inspire participants through testimonials by faith leaders. Illustrating how climate-responsible banking can help to tackle root causes of desertification, the event aims to serve as a milestone towards the UN Summit of the Future.

The event will be facilitated by Dia Mirza, UN Environmental Programme, Goodwill Ambassador. Speakers will include:

Andrew David Raine, Deputy Director of the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) Law Division
Ellyanne Wanjiku-Chlystun (13 years), Africa's Youngest Climate Finance & Health Champion
Dr. Iyad Abumoghli, Founder and Director of the Faith for Earth Coalition of UNEP
Frederique Seidel, Programme Executive, WCC Child Rights Programme/ Manager of global WCC-UNICEF Partnership, World Council of Churches
Rosie Venner, Just Money Movement
Dr. Anne Olhoff, Chief Climate Advisor, UNEP Copenhagen Climate Center
Foday Bangura (19 years), co-author of the Children's Declaration to the New Global Financing Summit
Eric Usher, Head of UNEP Finance Initiative
Megan Clay, Client Earth
François de Cambiaire, attorney specialised in responsible banking
Maurice Bloem, Joint Learning Initiative

When: Wednesday 3 July 2024, 2:00 – 3:30 pm CET

Where: online, please register here

Statement "Climate-Responsible Finance - a Moral Imperative towards Children" (9 May 2022)

Save Children's Lives: Responsible Banking Survival Guide, 2024

News

children in a public manifestation for climate justice

Climate responsible banking: “The children are not afraid to follow the money”—are adults?

Thirteen-year-old Ellyanne Chlystun-Githae Wanjiku, from Kenya, gave a clarion call during a 9 May webinar on climate responsible banking: “The children are not afraid to follow the money,” she said—and that means learning about responsible banking and influencing policy.

11 May 2023