Raise Hope: Women of Faith Leading the Way in Climate Action

As London pulsed with energy during London Climate Action Week (LCAW) 2025, over 700 events showcased bold ideas, urgent conversations, and fresh collaborations. From green finance to grassroots resilience, the climate crisis was met with visionary leadership—and women of faith stood firmly at the heart of it.

A powerful highlight was the screening of “The Letter – A Message for Our Earth”, hosted by the Laudato Sì Movement and introduced by its Executive Director, Dr Lorna Gold. Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, the film explores how ecological breakdown and social injustice are deeply interwoven. It gathered faith communities across traditions, reimagining ecological conversion as a shared, global calling.

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, founder of The Dandelion Project and member of The Elders, brought her now-familiar blend of moral urgency and hope. In multiple events across LCAW, including sessions on governance, health, and gender, she made it clear: we cannot tackle the climate crisis without justice—and we won’t achieve justice without women’s leadership.

These themes are embodied in Project Dandelion, a global, women-led climate justice movement co-founded by Robinson. One of its emerging voices is Laura Jessie Cook, a storyteller and organiser working at the intersection of climate, faith, and creative communication. Her message is simple: “We are dandelions—resilient, rooted, relentless.”

Cook is also active in the Women, Faith & Climate Network, launched in Rome in late 2024. This interfaith initiative brings together women leaders from across religions and continents—reaching over 70 million people—to share knowledge and build campaigns rooted in moral purpose. Upcoming workshops in 2025 focus on empowering eco champions and promoting women-led renewable energy projects—bringing spiritual wisdom into practical climate solutions.

What’s striking is how this global movement speaks directly into the heart of Northern Ireland’s climate moment. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) recently launched its first ever statutory Climate Action Plan consultation (2023–2027), seeking public input on 52 policies aimed at reducing emissions by 33% by 2027.

This consultation isn’t just about plans—it’s about people. And here, the witness of communities across Northern Ireland becomes crucial. Groups like the Rural Community Network are already working to ensure that rural voices—often closest to the land—are heard. The Northern Ireland Resources Network promotes circular economy thinking, supporting initiatives like Repair Cafés, where waste is reduced and skills are shared in community settings. Eco-Congregation Ireland continues to help churches live their faith through creation care, prayer, and local action.

These networks are already living out the kind of climate justice that DAERA’s plan must embrace: inclusive, rooted in place, built on dignity and relationship. By listening to their stories—and to the voices emerging from initiatives like Project Dandelion—Northern Ireland can ensure that its climate response is not just top-down, but woven from the grassroots up.

As Laura Jessie Cook reminds us, climate action must also be narrative action. It’s not only about reducing tonnes of carbon—it’s about who gets to imagine and shape the future. The women of faith gathering across the world, and the communities organising quietly at home, are all part of one larger story: a movement that raises hope, renews agency, and restores our shared home.

Let’s work so that the seeds being planted—in London, in Rome, and in parishes and town halls across the country—take root in policy and practice. As the DAERA consultation unfolds, we have a chance to make sure that the future is not only greener, but fairer—and told by all.

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