The Catholic bishops representing episcopal conferences and councils from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean have issued an urgent joint appeal to government leaders and representatives gathering for COP30, calling for accelerated efforts to implement the Paris Agreement and realign global priorities towards justice for people and the planet. The statement emphasises not only political action but also a deep “ecological conversion” and societal transformation as envisioned by Pope Francis and inspired by the teachings of Pope Leo XIV.
The bishops underscore that nearly ten years after both the publication of Laudato Si’ and the signing of the Paris Agreement, the world has failed to address the climate crisis with adequate urgency. With global warming now reaching 1.55°C in 2024, surpassing the critical 1.5°C threshold identified by the IPCC to avoid catastrophic consequences, the bishops insist this is not just an environmental issue but a fundamental matter of justice, human dignity, and care for the future of humanity.
They specifically warn against “false solutions” such as so-called ‘green’ capitalism, technocracy, nature commodification, and extractivist economic paradigms, which they argue only perpetuate exploitation and deepen the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable. Instead, the statement calls for a radical shift towards equity, with wealthier nations paying their “ecological debt” through fair and adequate climate finance—offered without pushing new debt onto the Global South—to help cover losses and damages already being endured by nations in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania.
The bishops are equally clear in their demand for justice, urging the global community to embrace economic degrowth, move swiftly to phase out fossil fuels, halt new fossil fuel infrastructure, and ensure accountable taxation of those who profit most from climate-destructive industries. Addressing the climate and nature crises, they highlight the need to prioritise the needs and rights of the most affected communities, pointing to Indigenous peoples, women, girls, and new generations, for whom the impacts are especially severe. The bishops also frame climate-induced migration as a challenge requiring urgent action rooted in justice and human rights.
The bishops reiterated the commitments of the Catholic Church to climate justice. These include defending the most vulnerable in all decisions about climate and nature, educating on integral ecology, promoting solidarity-based economies inspired by Laudato Si’s “happy sobriety” and the ancestral wisdom of “Buen Vivir,” and fostering greater intercontinental alliances among countries in the Global South. Furthermore, a “Climate Justice Observatory” will monitor and report on the outcomes of international climate conferences.
Ultimately, the bishops are urging decision-makers to transform the global economic system into one that restores the planet and prioritises well-being over production and consumption, anchoring all policy in human rights, ethical and decentralised technology, and social solidarity. The statement further urges halting deforestation by 2030, restoring essential ecosystems, and reinvigorating multilateral climate cooperation to build trust between the Global North and South for the shared wellbeing of humanity and the Earth.
With COP30 looming as a critical juncture for the international community, the bishops warn that inaction will be counted as complicity in mounting climate injustice and environmental destruction. They reaffirm the Church’s unwavering resolve to speak out with truth and consistency, standing with science, civil society, and the world’s most vulnerable, until justice—and genuine care for our common home—prevails.
Download the full statement here.
