07/07/2026
As we bid farewell to the eighth iteration of (20th – 28th June 2026), we reflect on the enormous efforts made by multilateral actors working across climate action and climate justice, at the local, national and global level, brought together in this vibrant city to advance dialogue and collaboration for our shared home.
Here in the UK, London Climate Action Week could not have taken place at a more timely moment – as we experienced one of the most blistering heatwaves in recent history, forcing many events to be cancelled or adapted to respond to rising temperatures. It was an ironic nod to the crucial immediacy of climate crisis, no longer a looming threat, but a present challenge.
During LCAW, we were particularly moved by the interventions organised by our friends and colleagues within the interfaith space, inspired to act for our fragile world, drawing on teachings of faith and spirituality urging us to adopt our moral responsibility as stewards of this Earth. We were pleased to be involved in some vital convenings.
On Monday 22nd June 2026, with our friends and partners at the Ummah for Earth Alliance led by Greenpeace MENA, we gathered in an intimate setting to explore the theme Mosques as Sanctuaries of Resilience: Faith-Based Humanitarianism on the Frontlines of Climate Displacement, considering how houses of worship can be equipped and adapted to function as climate-resilient, solar-powered humanitarian hubs, creating sustainable livelihoods for climate-displaced populations. Alongside our partners, Islamic Relief UK, Greenpeace MENA and Islamic Help, we interrogated the pertinent need to retrofit mosques to ensure the establishment of circular water systems and supply of renewable energy, and considered what this may look like in practice.
Zahra Ahmad, our Director of Philanthropy, reflected on the importance of placing mosques at the heart of the community, encouraging individuals to gravitate towards a site of worship in responding to climate collapse – both in a spiritual and physical sense. The mosque – understood as a site of learning, congregation and community building naturally lends itself to also act as a space of innovation and sanctuary. Anchored in community life, the mosque can be leveraged to mobilise communities for climate action, promoting environmental awareness and behavioural change.
Zahra also delved into the value of situating conservation agriculture within an Islamic framework. Adoption of faith-sensitive approaches to farming, informed by religious norms facilitates dialogue, trust and understanding within communities and places their perspectives at the centre of this work.
Finally, we considered how challenges affecting climate refugees will be compounded by poor menstrual hygiene management provisions and WASH programming, encouraging organisations to think beyond serving immediate needs, to designing holistic, female-centred interventions which address the complex, multi-faceted experiences of women within refugee settings, whose needs are often underrepresented and overlooked. Mosques, as community hubs, seeking to challenge stigma attached to menstrual hygiene management, and working to dismantle patriarchal narratives which silence the needs of women, will be the first step in a long journey towards true equality, dignity and justice for all.
