As the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) unfolds in Dubai, JESC, together with other European Laudato Si’ Alliance members Laudato Si’ Movement, Caritas Europa and Don Bosco International, reaffirms its commitment to addressing the pressing climate crisis. Set against the backdrop of Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum (LD), the statement acknowledges the critical nature of COP28 in realizing the goals set forth in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
With the scientific consensus underscoring the urgent need for decisive action, the COP28 statement emphasizes the responsibility to deliver on climate commitments to prevent catastrophic temperature rises. We echo Pope Francis’s call to consider the climate crisis as a “global social issue intimately related to the dignity of human life,” especially recognizing the disproportionate impact on the Global South.
Our statement outlines concrete steps that we advocate for at COP28, urging the European Union to take leadership in the Global Stocktake, increase Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), champion a global phase-out of fossil fuels, deliver promised climate finance to developing countries, and commit to funding Loss & Damage. Grounded in our faith and a belief in the sacredness of Creation, we stand steadfast in promoting integral ecology and advocating for climate policies that align with our shared commitment to stewardship.
