To be a Black American woman in international problem-solving spaces right now is to show up to the event excited to see friends and family while making excuses for a spouse who ‘had to work late’ and hiding visible bruises beneath pancake makeup and long sleeves. Everyone is kind and polite. The conversation is on task. But there’s bitter disappointment in their disposition for the situation and a mix of pity and dismay in their eyes reserved for me personally which I both appreciate and resent.
This week I am attending COP29, the 29th annual UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. It is set to bring world leaders, experts, and activists together for two weeks to tackle our biggest environmental challenges. These meetings, known as COPs (Conferences of the Parties), are where countries negotiate on reducing greenhouse gases, adapting to climate impacts, and finding ways to finance the transition to a greener world. Each year builds on the last, and COP29 will focus on getting nations closer to meeting their climate commitments to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. It’s a space for tough conversations, like figuring out who pays for the climate impacts affecting vulnerable regions, and how to transition energy sources sustainably. It’s my 5th consecutive year attending the conference representing the US mainline Christian community. I caucus with my colleagues at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran World Federation and this year I’m proud to represent the Regeneration Project of Interfaith Power and Light where I’ve recently joined the board of directors. I am planning to continue my work following the Loss and Damage and Finance negotiations as well as the negotiation’s likely effect on women and gendered communities around the world.
Climate work is inherently long-term. Tackling climate change means transforming global systems, from how we produce energy to how we grow food, and it’s a task that spans decades, not election cycles. Solutions require the collaboration of nearly every country, transcending individual governments or political shifts. Yet, the United States remains a significant player in international negotiations—its policies, financing, and leadership (or lack thereof) impact the pace of climate action worldwide. With the recent election outcome and heightened political uncertainty, there’s anxiety in the air. Other nations now know that the US government is at best an undependable partner in these high-stakes long-term goals and believe that, in fact, our government will likely become openly hostile to multilateral climate action altogether in the next administration.
Showing up to COP29 as a Black American woman in these highly scrutinized global spaces is a complex experience. I arrive excited to work alongside familiar faces and strong allies, but I also feel the weight of representing a country whose climate commitments are capricious. My personal presence is welcomed (the people of Baku have been next-level welcoming throughout the whole city!) yet I can sense fear and sadness. I share it. They understand that I’m not responsible for political shifts, but as a U.S. representative, I’m often left to both reassure and absorb that disappointment. In moments like this, I’m grateful to have another identity to rely on—my identity as a member of the body of Christ. Like the COP process itself, which is bigger than any one nation’s political cycles, my spiritual identity is larger than my geopolitical realities. Knowing that I belong to a community of faith sustains me and reminds me that my purpose here extends beyond the politics of any one country.
As I continue in this COP29 journey this morning, I’m holding fast to my faith and drawing strength from a community of believers committed to the work of creation care. In a world of shifting politics and daunting climate challenges, I find peace in the enduring words of Scripture: “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). Despite any uncertainty around me, God’s promise remains steady. Surrounded by my faith community, I am reminded that our work here is grounded in something deeper and greater than any single conference or policy. Together, as members of the body of Christ and people of faith the world over, we are called to stand firm, to act with courage, and to continue advocating for justice and renewal in God’s creation.
Regina Q. Banks is Executive Director of the Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California, and a board member of The Regeneration Project.