Pope Francis has issued a warning to world leaders, urging them to take action on climate change before it’s too late. In his latest document, “Praise God,” released ahead of the COP28 climate change conference, the pope emphasized that the transition to renewable energy from fossil fuels was not progressing fast enough. He combined science, diplomacy, and theology to advocate for a change to clean energy.
The pontiff stressed the “irreversible” damage already underway to the planet and its people, adding that the world’s poor and most vulnerable were paying the highest price. He warned that the planet was nearing a “point of no return,” and that even more tragic damage could be prevented if action was taken quickly.
Pope Francis also advocated for changes to the “irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model,” which he claimed would have a long-term impact on the globe’s condition. His latest document is an update to his landmark 2015 papal letter, “Praise Be,” which was written before the start of the Paris climate conference as a prod to world leaders to act. It focuses on caring for the natural environment, people, and underlining the relationship between God, humans, and Earth.
The pontiff felt the update was necessary because responses to the emergency had “not been adequate,” citing a “collapsing” world reaching a “breaking point.” In the 2015 Paris Agreement, leaders vowed to limit the rise of global temperatures to below 2C above pre-industrial times while pursuing means to limit the increase to 1.5C. The pope lamented the target, claiming it would reach 3C soon, while citing numerous natural disasters and extreme weather globally.
The pope cited data showing that increased emissions and the corresponding rise in global temperatures have accelerated since the Industrial Revolution, and particularly in the last 50 years. He warned that even if the planet does not reach the “point of no return,” the consequences would still be disastrous, and precipitous measures would have to be taken at enormous cost and with grave and intolerable economic and social effects.
Pope Francis ends his new Apostolic Exhortation, published on the 4th October, You can read it here @ it’s source:
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20231004-laudate-deum.html
