Pope warns of 'irreversible' climate change, urges UN action
Published: 04:10 PM,Oct 04,2023 | EDITED : 08:10 PM,Oct 04,2023
Pope Francis leads a mass on the opening day of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, at St Peter's square in The Vatican. — AFP
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis warned Wednesday the world 'is collapsing' due to global warming, urging participants of the upcoming COP28 climate talks to agree to binding policies on phasing out fossil fuels.
Eight years after his landmark thesis outlined the devastation of manmade climate change, the 86-year-old pontiff published a follow-up that warned that some damage was 'already irreversible'.
'With the passage of time, I have realised that our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point,' he wrote in the 12-page letter.
But he said the next round of UN climate talks opening in Dubai on November 30 'can represent a change of direction', if participants make binding agreements on moving from fossil fuels to clean energy sources such as wind and solar.
Only a real commitment to change 'can enable international politics to recover its credibility', he wrote.
With his 2015 text, the pope had put himself firmly behind the science on blaming human behaviour for climate change. But he acknowledged Wednesday that there were still those, including inside the Church, who had 'certain dismissive and scarcely reasonable opinions'.
'Despite all attempts to deny, conceal, gloss over or relativise the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident,' wrote Francis.
In his 2015 text, the pope blamed a pursuit of economic growth for the destruction of the planet and warned rich countries must lead the way in repairing the damage.
In Wednesday's text, he said that 'regrettably, the climate crisis is not exactly a matter that interests the great economic powers, whose concern is with the greatest profit'.
He also repeated a call for changes in the 'irresponsible lifestyle' of rich countries.
He noted that 'emissions per individual in the United States are about two times greater than those of individuals living in China, and about seven times greater than the average of the poorest countries'.
Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, an international environmental organisation, said: 'The work of spiritual leaders around the world may be our best chance of getting hold of things.
'Yes, the engineers have done their job. Yes, the scientists have done their job. But it's high time for the human heart to do its job. That's what we need this leadership for.' — AFP
Eight years after his landmark thesis outlined the devastation of manmade climate change, the 86-year-old pontiff published a follow-up that warned that some damage was 'already irreversible'.
'With the passage of time, I have realised that our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point,' he wrote in the 12-page letter.
But he said the next round of UN climate talks opening in Dubai on November 30 'can represent a change of direction', if participants make binding agreements on moving from fossil fuels to clean energy sources such as wind and solar.
Only a real commitment to change 'can enable international politics to recover its credibility', he wrote.
With his 2015 text, the pope had put himself firmly behind the science on blaming human behaviour for climate change. But he acknowledged Wednesday that there were still those, including inside the Church, who had 'certain dismissive and scarcely reasonable opinions'.
'Despite all attempts to deny, conceal, gloss over or relativise the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident,' wrote Francis.
In his 2015 text, the pope blamed a pursuit of economic growth for the destruction of the planet and warned rich countries must lead the way in repairing the damage.
In Wednesday's text, he said that 'regrettably, the climate crisis is not exactly a matter that interests the great economic powers, whose concern is with the greatest profit'.
He also repeated a call for changes in the 'irresponsible lifestyle' of rich countries.
He noted that 'emissions per individual in the United States are about two times greater than those of individuals living in China, and about seven times greater than the average of the poorest countries'.
Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, an international environmental organisation, said: 'The work of spiritual leaders around the world may be our best chance of getting hold of things.
'Yes, the engineers have done their job. Yes, the scientists have done their job. But it's high time for the human heart to do its job. That's what we need this leadership for.' — AFP