SGI calls for global solidarity to address the climate crisis
On November 5, 2025, the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) issued a statement, “Mobilizing Global Solidarity to Meet the Challenges of the Climate Crisis,” in advance of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), taking place from November 10–21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil. It calls for global solidarity to counter the lack of unity in how the world is responding to the climate crisis and emphasizes the key role to be played by youth.
The SGI statement warns that if global warming exceeds the 1.5-degree target set by the Paris Agreement, the lives, livelihoods and dignity of people worldwide will face ever more severe harm, and it expresses concern that international solidarity is weakening. Vital momentum is being lost as global cooperation aimed at significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions faces serious obstacles.
It reads: “Amid escalating uncertainty and instability, a sense of resignation may begin to take hold among the world’s people―that perhaps resolving the climate crisis is beyond our capacity. If such despair spreads, it will not only undermine momentum for scaling up climate action but also threaten the commitment to existing efforts.”
To counter this, the statement puts forward two main proposals. The first calls for the mobilization of civil society, uniting the will of people around the world to build a foundation for action rooted in the resolve to never give up on tackling the challenges posed by this crisis.
It stresses that diverse faith traditions have an important role to play, given that more than 80 percent of the world’s people adhere to some form of faith or creed. Faith communities are uniquely positioned to inspire the behavioral transformation essential for addressing the climate crisis, and the that further opportunities be created for faith groups to share best practices and work together to develop paths toward confronting the climate crisis and building a sustainable global society.
The second proposal calls for a permanent youth council to be established within the UNFCCC Secretariat to develop proposals and implementation strategies to be presented at each COP. This builds on sustained advocacy by youth for their increased involvement in decision-making related to climate governance.
Hirotsugu Terasaki, SGI Director General of Peace and Global Issues, comments, “It is youth who have been raising their voices most loudly across the globe, calling for climate justice. We believe that establishing such a council—led by youth—within the UNFCCC Secretariat would serve as a powerful symbol of transformative change at this critical time.”
The statement highlights the key role of youth in the process that led to the groundbreaking advisory opinion issued this July by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which declares that states have an obligation to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions and to cooperate with one another in taking effective action. It was advocacy by the youth-led group Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) that led the state of Vanuatu to initiate a UN General Assembly resolution that set the ICJ judicial process in motion.
The full text of the SGI statement in English can be found here.
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The Soka Gakkai is a global community-based Buddhist organization that promotes peace, culture and education centered on respect for the dignity of life. The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) has been registered as an NGO in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 1983. This statement is written by the SGI Global Perspectives Committee, which includes SGI leaders engaged in peace activities in various countries in Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, North America and Latin America. It builds on ideas put forward in the peace proposals of SGI President Daisaku Ikeda (1928—2023) issued between 1983 and 2022 to commemorate the founding of the SGI.
Contact:
Hiro Sakurai
SGI Office for UN Affairs
2127277018
hiro.sakurai@sgi-ouna.org
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