“Climate change has unearthed the need for humanity to agree on a moral framework that must underpin our global order. The idealism, energy, sense of justice, and earnest search for truth that characterize young people make their involvement crucial to the success of this process,” said Melania Mora from the Brussels Office of the Baha’i International Community, when reflecting on the recent event “Interfaith Youth Convention on the European Green Deal: Striking a Deal for our Common Home”. 

The event, attended by the BIC and hosted by the Commission Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) jointly with other faith-based organizations on October 1, 2021, brought together youth from a number of European faith communities. The event was convened to give participants a space to discuss the EU’s Green Deal – a 2019 proposal launched on how to make the European economy more sustainable and climate neutral within the next 30 years.

Ms. Mora added that: “Given the interdependence of the global economic order, any steps to ensure that the EU’s economy becomes more sustainable must necessarily be taken in light of the broader question of the entire world’s sustainability. Otherwise, such steps will necessarily be short lived and will not ensure lasting change.”

The young participants gathered in small working groups to examine a number of  themes, such as food systems, housing, transportation and education. On November 25, they presented their proposals to European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans. Mr. Timmermans said that faith has an important contribution to make in addressing the moral questions underlying climate change.