QEW goes to the Amazon!

In just ten days, General Secretary Keith Runyan will be traveling to the Brazilian city of Belém, set near the mouth of the Amazon river, to represent Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30). This year’s COP -- set deep in the Amazon -- is one of the most significant yet, and Keith will be reporting live from the ground throughout the negotiations to bring you inside the process as it unfolds.

With the United States’ 2025 withdrawal from the Paris Agreement still reverberating, Keith will be speak on an official COP30 panel with our interfaith partners -- sharing a message of determination and hope on how states, cities, tribal nations, and faith communities in the US continue to drive meaningful progress on climate solutions despite federal withdrawal.

At COP30 in Belém, Quaker Earthcare Witness joins faith and Indigenous partners urging governments to act commensurate with the emergency we face. We call for $1.3 trillion in new climate finance by 2035 -- delivered as grants, not debt -- to help nations protect lives already upended by drought, flood, and fire. The Loss and Damage Fund must be fully operationalized this year, ensuring real relief for devastated communities. Governments must commit to phasing out fossil fuels and redirecting subsidies toward renewable energy, ecological restoration, and climate  adaptation. We carry these demands as a moral witness: the time for action is now.