Spiritual Transformation Needed to Address Climate Change (UN Climate Change Conference)

What kind of change is truly needed to address the climate crisis — technological, political, or something deeper? In this talk delivered at the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in November 2016, Imam Ibrahim Saidy makes the case for spiritual transformation as an essential foundation for meaningful climate action. He explores how addressing the environmental crisis requires more than external policy shifts or technical solutions — it demands an inner shift in values, consciousness, and relationship to the natural world. Drawing on Islamic teaching, Imam Saidy frames this spiritual transformation as a necessary complement to practical climate efforts, suggesting that lasting change begins with a renewed sense of humility, responsibility, and connection to creation. His remarks add an important Islamic voice to the broader interfaith conversation on the spiritual dimensions of the climate crisis at the UN summit. Viewers interested in related themes can also check out a companion video on the spiritual root of climate change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFYf4pwj0JU