Pope Francis: Climate change a social justice issue

UNITED NATIONS – The problem of climate change is a social justice issue that needs to be addressed not just by the world governments but by civil society as a whole, according to Pope Francis.

The pope, in his video message at the opening of the Climate Action Summit at the United Nations headquarters here in New York earlier this week, described climate change as one of the most serious and worrying phenomena of our time.

“The problem of climate change is related to issues of ethics, equity and social justice. The current situation of environmental degradation is connected with the human, ethical and social degradation that we experience every day,” he said.

“This forces us to think about the meaning of our models of consumption and production, and the processes of education and awareness, to make them consistent with human dignity,” he added.

He noted that the commitments made by governments are still very weak and not enough to achieve the objectives set by the historic Paris climate agreement signed in 2015.

“While the situation is not good and the planet is suffering, the window of opportunity is still open,” he said.

“Let us not let it close. Let us open it with our determination to cultivate integral human development, to ensure a better life for future generations,” he added.

Francis said the world is facing a “challenge of civilization” in favor of the common good, noting that a multiplicity of solutions are available both on a personal and societal level.

He stressed the need to cultivate three great moral qualities – honesty, responsibility and courage – in addressing the issue of climate change.

“Along with so many initiatives, not only by governments but by civil society as a whole, it is necessary to ask whether there is a real political will to allocate greater human, financial and technological resources to mitigate the negative effects of climate change and to help the poorest and most vulnerable populations who suffer the most,” he said.

“Although the post-industrial period may well be remembered as one of the most irresponsible in history, nonetheless there is reason to hope that humanity at the dawn of the 21st century will be remembered for having generously shouldered its grave responsibilities,” added the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Climate action

UN Secretary General António Guterres this week gathered world leaders for a historic Climate Action Summit aimed at securing additional commitments on efforts to address the climate crisis.

Some 60 leaders from governments, civil society and the private sector spoke during the summit, which was held before the high-level general debates of the UN General Assembly.

Among the speakers was 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who delivered an impassioned speech accusing world leaders of inaction in the face of climate change.

Throughout the week, reports from various experts highlighted the worsening climate change problem.

A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change revealed that over a billion people worldwide, including Filipinos living in coastal zones, may be affected by the impact of climate change on oceans and on ice-covered parts of the planet.

It said continuing increase of global temperature would result in warmer, more acidic and less productive oceans; melting glaciers and ice sheets that cause sea level to rise; and more severe coastal extreme events.

Those at risk include inhabitants of high mountain regions, low-lying regions, coastal areas, the Arctic region and the small island developing states.

A separate report of leading scientific organizations, including the World Meteorological Organization and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, also revealed that climate change has continued to accelerate in recent years despite global efforts to curb carbon emissions that contribute to temperature increase.

A report by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent also estimated that 150 million people around the world may need humanitarian aid every year by 2030 if no action is taken to address the climate crisis.