Faith leaders head to Turkey for climate talks despite U.S. absence
Texas Impact will document the 31st UN climate conference in Antalya, arguing that religious groups must fill the void left by American national leaders.
By Fatou Kim ·
A small group of advocates from Texas prepares to fly to Turkey.
The 31st United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, known as COP31, opens on November 9 in Antalya. It runs through November 20. Texas Impact, an interfaith advocacy network based in Austin, will attend as the only state-level, faith-based credentialed NGO observers. They plan to share video coverage of the event with The Austin Chronicle.
The organization joins other faith-based groups from around the world to attend the meeting. Leaders from various denominations, social action groups, and mission organizations are traveling to the official negotiating rooms. Their goal is to remind the parties involved that climate action is a humanitarian and ethical imperative, not just a technical or scientific issue.
The group views U.S. faith participation as urgent this year. National leaders are staying away from the conference, which effectively sidelines Americans in a global conversation with existential implications for all people. The emerging agendas for COP31 reveal serious conflicts between interest groups. There are also doubts about whether multilateral negotiations work in the current political environment. Faith communities face growing tensions between economic goals and demands for equity from marginalized groups, including women, youth, and residents of areas already hit hard by climate change.
These global issues mirror local fights in Texas. Disputes over data center permitting are one example of how these dynamics play out in the state. Texans are also experiencing climate impacts on their weather. The United States remains a primary emitter of greenhouse gases. It is also a wealthy nation with the capacity to drive mitigation and adaptation worldwide.
The country was on track to lead on climate policy. The U.S. set ambitious emission reduction targets under the Paris Agreement. It operationalized those targets through the Inflation Reduction Act. However, the current administration has undone decades of American leadership. The U.S. has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and the entire United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Subnational leaders continue to participate, but the national government is absent.
Texas Impact argues that the COP is a multilateral negotiation, not a mere conference. Calling it a conference sends a message that it is just an exchange of ideas. This allows the U.S. and other wealthy nations to step away from existing responsibilities. The future of U.S. climate policy and participation in global talks could change based on election outcomes. Congress bears responsibility for gutting the Inflation Reduction Act, while state and local governments evaluate policy choices like data center permitting that could lock in carbon-intensive patterns or accelerate the shift to low-carbon energy.
The organization will continue to document the proceedings. Readers can follow Texas Impact’s videos from COP31 at austinchronicle.com/COP31.
