Holy See encourages “greater ambition” after climate summit

By Joachim Teigen 

Rulebook for implementing Paris Agreement

Negotiators from almost 200 countries were gathered in Katowice, Poland, 2-15 December 2018 for the 24^th Conference of States Party to the UN framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24). Through the many meetings, the negotiators were tasked with finding a consensus on a rulebook for implementing the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015.

At the close of the summit, the Holy See Delegation issued a final statement on 19 December titled “When will the cry of the earth and its peoples be answered?”. In their statement, they praised the willingness of the nations to put aside shortsighted economic interests for the sake of the common good.

More ambition and greater urgency

During the negotiations, concern was expressed on the part of vulnerable nations that the negotiations would result in a “mediocre” outcome.

These concerns were echoed by the Holy See Delegation led by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who observed that the rulebook “seems to downplay human rights”, and by extension how climate change affect the most poor.

The Delegation finally reminded the summit of the goal of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5°C, and demanded an even greater “ambition and urgency” in the nations’ mechanisms and contributions, as well as individual lifestyle changes, in order to reach this goal.