Climate change: Addressing non-economic impacts for justice and human rights (2025)

New publication exploring the faith, cultural, and human dimensions of climate change

(LWI) – With a new publication titled “Beyond Material Loss – Exploring Non-Economic Impacts of Climate Change through Faith-Based Perspectives”, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) contributes to addressing climate change through the lens of justice and human rights.

In her foreword to the new publication, Prof. Elisa Morgera, UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change, emphasized that this study highlights the unique perspectives and valuable contributions of faith communities and faith-based organizations in advancing the protection of human rights and promoting human rights-based approaches to climate action.

Climate change causes more than economic damage, such as the loss of resources, goods, and services commonly traded in markets: it threatens identities, traditions, and ways of life, especially for rural and Indigenous communities. These non-economic losses and damages (NELD) remain poorly defined yet deeply affect vulnerable communities.

Since the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992, developing countries have been pushing for climate-induced loss and damage to be a priority topic in climate negotiations. Their vulnerable populations and systems are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change. The increasing frequency of extreme weather and climate events has led to irreversible impacts, as both natural and human systems are being pushed beyond their capacity to adapt.

The publication shows LWF research into the subject, drawing on diverse voices, including women and youth from various faith traditions and regions. It offers policy recommendations grounded in human rights and faith perspectives to guide global and local climate negotiations and policymaking. “Addressing non-economic losses and damages is not just about funds or policies, but about honoring the lives, identities, and beliefs of those most affected and taking meaningful steps toward a more just and compassionate world,” says Elena Cedillo, LWF’s Program Executive for Climate Justice.

The LWF’s initiative has three objectives, explains Cedillo: “First, it seeks to identify the spiritual, cultural, and human rights dimensions of NELD impacts, recognizing how climate change disrupts deeply rooted traditions, values, and identities. Second, it explores the role of faith communities in recognizing, addressing, and mitigating these non-economic losses, highlighting their potential to build resilience, and third, it provides a moral framework for climate justice advocacy and action.”