The Global Catholic Climate Movement came into being following and building on the groundbreaking 2014 letter from Bishops from four continents, particularly the Global South, that called for an end to the use of fossil fuels and keeping temperature rise below 1.5 C, an even stiffer bar than the 2-degree target climate scientists had pointed to at that point (scientists worldwide have now issued joint statements agreeing that a 1.5 C increase is risky and should be viewed as a bar, to turn around before much more dangerous levels are reached).
Humankind on the Planet Earth is ordained to live in equity, justice and dignity, peace and harmony in the midst of the order of Creation…which has a value in itself and must be treated respectfully. We Catholic Bishops recognize the atmosphere, rainforests, oceans and agricultural land as common good that require our care.
We Bishops call on all Catholics and people of good will to engage on the road to Paris as a starting point for a new life in harmony with Creation respecting planetary boundaries.
Endorsing models of development that are “both climate compatible and bring people out of poverty,” the bishops said “central to this is to put an end to the fossil fuel era, phasing out fossil fuel emissions and phasing in 100% renewables with sustainable energy access for all.” Pope Francis has re-stated the latter, as in Laudato Si’ 165: “fossil fuels – especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas – need to be progressively replaced without delay,” but Catholic organisations haven’t always elevated that call. Instead, there was greater initial uptake and emphasis on the individualistic approach crafted by British Petroleum’s public relations staff: emphasis on reducing one’s carbon footprint and looking away from the big systemic problems and largest producers, who have continued to increase fossil fuel exploration, production, sales, and advertising for their own profit, regardless of the damage.
The bishops in 2014 spoke briefly and clearly, attributing global warming to “the dominant global economic system, which is a human creation.” They argued the model has placed market and profit above the human being and the common good, and said there is a need “for a new financial and economic order.”
What are we called to now? As Catholics we use a hermeneutic circle and stay attentive to the signs of the times, to re-evaluate where we are and what we are doing. 10 years on, GHG emissions are still rising and the fossil fuel industry is reinvigorated in its drilling and political power. We are on our way to another lost decade, that talks about phase outs only later. Please share your reflections on Catholic action going forward at hello@spiritunbounded.org.
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See complete statement below, also in Spanish and French.
With deep thanks to the bishops from all continents and our Catholic agencies CEAS (Peru), CIDSE, Caritas Internationalis, CAFOD (UK), CCFD–Terre Solidaire (France), Cordaid (The Netherlands), Development and Peace (Canada), MISEREOR (Germany), Secours Catholique (France) and Trócaire (Ireland), for their leadership!
Working together at the High-level event at the COP20 in Lima, Bishops from all continents called for a fair and legally binding climate agreement
We Catholic Bishops from all continents have come together in Lima on the occasion of COP20 to join the efforts of world leaders as they work towards signing a just and legally binding climate agreement in Paris in 2015.
Following the evangelical option for the poor, we work closely with the most vulnerable communities and the excluded and as such are closely attuned to how the problem of climate change is affecting them. Our message to political leaders and all people of good will is rooted in the experience and suffering of these poor communities.
Humankind on the Planet Earth is ordained to live in equity, justice and dignity, peace and harmony in the midst of the order of Creation. Humankind is ordered to treat respectfully Creation, which has a value in itself. We Catholic Bishops recognize the atmosphere, rainforests, oceans and agricultural land as common good that require our care.
Climate Change and Climate Justice today
We recognize that much good has happened on Earth through the rightful and responsible intelligence, technology and industry of humankind under God’s loving care. And yet in recent decades many grave adversities such as climate change, with its devastating impact on Nature itself, on food security, health and migration, led to a great number of suffering people worldwide.
We express an answer to what is considered God’s appeal to take action on the urgent and damaging situation of global climate warming. The main responsibility for this situation lies with the dominant global economic system, which is a human creation. In viewing objectively the destructive effects of a financial and economic order based on the primacy of the market and profit, which has failed to put the human being and the common good at the heart of the economy, one must recognize the systemic failures of this order and the need for a new financial and economic order.
We note with appreciation that, in our times, States, Religions and Groups of Civil Society and individuals at all levels are recognizing more and more the natural as well as the ethical concerns of this matter. We wish to see therefore a deepening of the discourse at the COP20 in Lima, to ensure concrete decisions are taken at COP21 to overcome the climate challenge and to set us on new sustainable pathways.
We recognize that in line with truly democratic principles the poor and the poorer nations, who are many and are more affected by climate change impacts, are also agents in the development of nations and human life on earth. They also give us a voice and a sense of hope in our times as we face crises such as climate change. We hope their gentle, meaningful and active participation will encourage decision makers to develop more mixed systems instead of “one size fits all” modern technological-industrial approaches.
We as Bishops call on all parties
- to keep in mind not only the technical but particularly the ethical and moral dimensions of climate change as indicated in Article 3 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- to adopt a fair and legally binding global agreement based on the universal human rights applicable to all in Paris in 2015.
- to keep the global temperature increase below 1.5 degree Celsius, relative to pre-industrial levels, in order to protect frontline communities suffering from the impacts of climate change, such as those in the Pacific Islands and in the coastal regions.
- to build new models of development and lifestyles that are both climate compatible and bring people out of poverty. Central to this is to put an end to the fossil fuel era, phasing out fossil fuel emissions and phasing in 100% renewables with sustainable energy access for all.
- to ensure that the 2015 agreement delivers an adaptation approach that adequately responds to the immediate needs of the most vulnerable communities and builds on local alternatives. They should ensure that 50% of public funds go to meeting their adaptation needs.
- to recognize that adaptation needs are contingent on the success of mitigation measures taken. Those responsible for climate change have responsibilities to assist the most vulnerable in adapting and managing loss and damage and to share the necessary technology and knowhow.
- to adopt clear roadmaps on how countries will meet predictable and additional finance commitments and establish robust and transparent accounting methodologies.
Our commitment
We Catholic Bishops believe that Creation is life offered, is a gift for one another and that all will have the needed “daily bread”, providing sustainable food security and nutrition.
We Catholic Bishops commit ourselves to developing the sense of ‘gratuitousness’3 to contribute to a lifestyle which frees us from a desire of appropriation and enables us to be respectful of the dignity of the person and the harmony of creation.
We Bishops want to accompany the political process and seek dialogue to bring the voices of the poor to the table of decision-makers;
We are convinced that everyone has a capacity to contribute to overcome climate change and to choose sustainable lifestyles.
We Bishops call on all Catholics and people of good will to engage on the road to Paris as a starting point for a new life in harmony with Creation respecting planetary boundaries.
BISHOP SIGNATORIES TO THIS DECLARATION:
Monsignor Salvador Piñeiro García-Calderón, Archbishop of Ayacucho, Peru. President of the Bishops’ Conference of Peru
Monsignor Pedro Barreto Jimeno, Archbishop of Huancayo, Peru. President of the Justice and Solidarity Department of the Latin American Bishops Conference (CELAM)
Monsignor Sithembele Antón Sipuka, Bishop of Umtata, South Africa. Representative of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM)
Monsignor Theotonius Gomes, Auxiliary Bishop of Dhaka (Emeritus), Bangladesh. Representative of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC)
Monsignor Marc Stenger, Bishop of Troyes, Representative of the Episcopal Conference of France
Monsignor Zanoni Demettino Castro, Archbishop of Feira de Santana, Brazil. Representative of the Bishops’ Conference of Brazil
Monsignor Richard Alarcón Urrutia, Bishop of Tarma, President of Caritas Peru
Monsignor Jaime Rodríguez, Bishop of Huánuco, Perú
Monsignor Alfredo Vizcarra, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of San Francisco Javier de Jaén, Perú
ES – Declaración de los Obispos Católicos en Lima, en Camino a Paris
EN – Catholic Bishops’ statement in Lima on the road to Paris
FR – Déclaration des évêques catholiques à Lima, en route pour la COP21 à Paris