On December 3, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, gave an intervention during the High Level Segment of the 24th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change being held in Katowice Poland (COP-24).
In his intervention, Cardinal Parolin said that the fundamental purpose of the Katowice meeting is to develop the Paris Agreement Work Programme aimed at the difficult, complex and urgent task of facilitating fair and efficient implementation of the Paris Agreement. The question, he said, is whether there is sufficient political will to implement the necessary guidelines, rules and institutional mechanisms to limit global warming through transitioning to a model of development free from behaviors and technologies that produce too many greenhouse gases. Cardinal Parolin said that the Holy See would like to see the Work Programme built on a clear, ethical foundation, because the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is both a technological and a moral issue; a focus on meeting both the needs of the present and the future, because we have a great responsibility to future generations lest they absorb the problems of today; and the commitment to achieving the dignity of the person, alleviating poverty, promoting integral human development, and easing the impact of climate change through responsible mitigation and adaptation measures. He urged developed countries to take the lead in advancing sustainable consumption and production patterns, identifying financial incentives, ensuring the full and effective participation of local populations in the decision-making and implementation processes, and ensuring effective and transparent follow-up. In the face of climate change, he said, individual and national responses in themselves are not enough, but we must have a responsible, unprecedented collective response.
The intervention can be found here.