The effects of the climate crisis are being felt all over the world. Livelihoods and health are threatened. Extreme weather events are becoming more severe and more frequent.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency, as humanitarian and development practitioners, has seen first-hand how the global equilibrium is out of order.
The international ADRA network of 113 independent entities works in a federal structure. In ADRA’s projects - humanitarian aid and development cooperation – the Adventist Agency works in close partnership with local population in supporting people who are building up socio-economic resilience to lead lives in dignity and quality.
People are at the center of everything ADRA does. As a value-based aid organization, ADRA helps all, regardless of their religion, ideology, origin, or nationality. The ADRA offices have built valuable expertise in mitigation and adaptation over the years, responding to climate change disasters and building sustainable livelihoods in areas where climate change negatively affects communities.
“Within the ADRA network, we aim to bring together different competencies and strengths in our advocacy working group of European offices,” explained a statement from the Press Office of ADRA Europe. “We aim to do our deed; offices in our network have started to move towards net zero, signed the Climate charter, shared our knowledge at the COP26 and COP27, and published the comprehensive Carbon Reduction Guide in 2021,” the statement continues. “Our projects range from youth empowerment to livelihoods and disaster risk management. As a civil society organization in service to human kind, we want to act on ground, but we also see the bigger system around the catastrophes that hit the poorest, least resilient communities the hardest. We want to add our voices to the demands and bring attention to the steps needed to be taken in order to ensure our planet and humanity can recover into a safer, less climate-volatile future.”
ADRA calls on policy makers and influential personalities to take necessary decisions in the upcoming UN Climate Conference. The industrialized countries, as the historical perpetrators of the climate crisis, must finally step up to promises made.
The COP26 has set some course but more steps are needed, such as stronger consideration of civil society actors; more focus on loss and damage; and meeting the pledge on global adaptation financing.
ADRA Europe hopes that these points will find strong consideration in the upcoming policy talks and wishes participants a successful and fruitful COP27.
To read the entire statement, please go here.
