A multi-faith women-led initiative to face climate change started officially in October 2024 in Frascati nearby Rome, Italy. It aims to encourage women of different faiths around the world to contribute to the mitigation of the changing climate. The UISG together with a few other organizations and embassies took part in the event in Frascati with support from UNEP Faith for Earth: The United Nations Environment Programme. UISG Associate Executive Secretary Sister Roxanne Schares SSND partook in the ceremony.

The participants including former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, were received at an audience with Pope Francis, too. The event was co-organized jointly convened by Wilton Park an executive agency of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office., the British Embassy to the Holy See, the Irish Embassy to the Holy See, Islamic Relief Worldwide, and the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), and Project Dandelion, and facilitated by Alison Hilliard, Senior Programme Director at Wilton Park.

Among the members of the so-called Women of Faith for Climate Network we find another Sister Maamalifar Poreku MSOLA (Co-Executive Secretary of JPIC Commission) who also belongs to UISG.

Fifty women leaders from 15 countries and from eight major faiths including Catholics, Muslims, Buddhist met to launch the initiative. The participants expect to reach their communities with UISG representing around 600,000 Catholic sisters across the globe. The organizers hail Women of Faith for Climate Network as unique when it comes to diversity and its focus on practical action and collaboration.

The next step for the women believers’ climate group is to increase visibility of women-guided climate action though storytelling, mapping and communications. Moreover, it wants to make houses of worship more environmentally-friendly also by using and promoting renewable energy and tree planting.

Furthermore, the group would like to act unisono at important climate change related events in 2025, including COP 30 in Brasil. Finally, a coordinating mechanism is to be formed in order to support exchange of best practices and internal collaboration.