Peter Waddup, CEO, The Leprosy Mission Great Britain

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COP30 begins in Brazil today, bringing world leaders together to face the climate crisis. While Donald Trump isn’t in attendance, it’s heartening to see so many others, including Keir Starmer and Prince William, show their commitment to tackling such a pressing challenge. For many of the communities where The Leprosy Mission works, the climate crisis is not a future threat but already a life and death reality.

In my work, I see every day how unfair this crisis really is. Climate change hits hardest those who’ve done the very least to cause it. Among the world’s most marginalised are always people affected by leprosy. Families in southern Bangladesh watching their farmland disappear beneath rising seas and communities in sub-Saharan Africa enduring relentless drought.

As Christians, we know this is not God’s plan. It is now indisputable that through our actions the world’s most vulnerable are increasingly suffering. It distresses me greatly, because from the very beginning God entrusted us to care for His creation. The earth wasn’t given to us to exploit, but to steward. To nurture its goodness and protect its beauty so that every creature and ecosystem can flourish as God intended.

All through the Bible, we see God’s heart for justice, especially for those who are poor, vulnerable and oppressed. Ignoring people who are struggling to survive because of climate change is to turn away from God’s command to 'love our neighbour as ourselves'.

Caring for creation is more than an environmental issue. It is, in fact, an act of worship. When we protect the planet, we honour the creator. When we mend what’s broken, we join in God’s redemptive work.

It’s easy to feel that our efforts are too small to make a difference. That our choices are mere drops in an ocean already overflowing with plastic. Yet every sustainable choice and every prayer for the planet is a seed of hope.

So next time you think about how you travel, what you eat, or the energy you use, pause for a moment. These decisions aren’t just lifestyle choices, they’re spiritual ones. Choosing the greener option isn’t a burden to bear, but an act of worship to the One who looked at His creation and said it was 'very good'.

People affected by leprosy in northern Sri Lanka, like Nanthakumar (pictured), have been taught sustainable farming techniques to help mitigate the devastating effects of climate change. Photo: Mahinthan Someswarapilla