The world may be near the breaking point as global warming inflicts drought, intense storms, and heat waves on more and more people, said Pope Francis on Wednesday, calling for a worldwide commitment to reining in human-caused damage to the environment. In particular, he said the upcoming climate summit in Dubai should bind the world to a transition to clean energy.
“If there is sincere interest in making COP28 a historic event that honors and ennobles us as human beings, then one can only hope for binding forms of energy transition that meet three conditions: that they be efficient, obligatory, and readily monitored,” wrote the pope in a 15-page letter to the world. “This in order to achieve the beginning of a new process marked by three requirements: that it be drastic, intense, and count on the commitment of all.”
To date, “the necessary transition towards clean energy sources such as wind and solar energy, and the abandonment of fossil fuels, is not progressing at the necessary speed,” said the letter, which called for a change in heart among government and corporate leaders and asked individuals to become stewards of the world. Otherwise, climate change will be felt in forced migration, loss of jobs, demands for healthcare, housing, and employment.
“Per capita emissions of the richer nations are much greater than those of the poorer ones,” wrote the pope. “If we consider 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, we can state that a broad change in the irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model would have a significant long-term impact. As a result, along with indispensable political decisions, we would be making progress along the way to genuine care for one another.”