Global Ethical Stocktake: an ethical and urgent call
Published on Jun 17, 2025 2:19 PM - Modified 12 days ago
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The third Regional Dialogue of the Global Ethical Stocktake gathered activists, artists, scientists, civil society representatives, and authorities in New Delhi, India, in September. | Image: Fernando Donasci/MMA
If we already know what needs to be done to tackle the climate crisis, why are we not doing it? This central question drives the Global Ethical Stocktake (GES), a groundbreaking initiative jointly launched by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The initiative is supported by the COP30 Presidency, Brasil’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudança do Clima/MMA), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministério das Relações Exteriores do Brasil/MRE).
Inspired by the Paris Agreement’s Global Stocktake, the GES proposes a global and ethical dialogue on the climate crisis, bringing together social, cultural, spiritual, business, scientific, and political leaders through six intercontinental dialogues, as well as independent, society-led events. The Global Ethical Stocktake Circle aims to deliver a set of civil society contributions to COP30 to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement and limit the increase in the planet’s average temperature to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels.
The first of six Regional Dialogues of the GES was held during London Climate Action Week in the United Kingdom this June. By COP30, a total of six meetings will have taken place—one on each of the continents. Their results will be consolidated and presented at official COP30 events. See the schedule of the six regional meetings:
● London, United Kingdom: June 24, 2025 – Mary Robinson (completed).
● Bogotá, Colombia: August 21, 2025 – (confirmed).
● New Delhi, India: September 1, 2025 – Kailash Satyarthi (ongoing).
● Oceania: September 15, 2025 – Anote Tong (ongoing).
● New York, USA: September 19, 2025 – Karenna Gore (confirmed).
Self-Organized Dialogues
In addition to the Regional Dialogues, GES invites everyone, anywhere in the world, to promote their own Self-Managed Dialogue. The goal is to broaden listening and reflection on the moral dilemmas of our era and explore how to build a fairer, safer future for all.
The first BEG Self-Managed Dialogue was led by former Irish President and co-organizer of the GES European Dialogue, Mary Robinson. It brought together around 40 people, including political, indigenous, and religious leaders, as well as activists and representatives of civil society.
To host a Global Ethical Stocktake dialogue, you can download the guide to learn about the proposed methodology.
The GES Methodological Guide, available in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, provides practical guidance, principles, and guiding questions for any interested group to organize a local GES dialogue. It also highlights the importance of creating welcoming spaces that foster listening, empathy, and connection through art and culture.
The GES believes culture can serve as a bridge between people's everyday lives and the diplomatic processes of climate change. For this reason, it encourages the creation and sharing of music, poetry, videos, crafts, paintings, and collages using these hashtags (#):
