On the sidelines of COP30, Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro, Apostolic Nuncio to Brazil and Deputy Head of the Holy See’s Delegation to COP30, recounts the work of the delegation present in Belém.
What contributions has the Holy See offered to the debates so far?
The Holy See offers to the climate debate, above all, an ethical contribution and a message of human solidarity, founded on the Church’s Magisterium, since the climate crisis is not solely a technical problem but also a moral one. We are called to be guardians of our brothers and sisters, and within that context a moral responsibility is born also toward creation.
For this reason, the Holy See is contributing to the negotiations by recalling the centrality of the dignity of the human person, bestowed by God. At every negotiating table, this approach is manifested through a respectful, constant, and firm invitation to give priority to the “human face of the climate crisis,” as the Holy Father said in his Message for the recent Summit. The Message reminds us that behind the technical dynamics, the acronyms and initials typical of UN negotiations, there are human beings and, above all, innocent communities suffering the effects of the environmental crisis.
In these times marked by tragic conflicts, the Holy See also highlights that care for creation and the pursuit of peace are inseparable, and that war and the destruction of nature mutually fuel one another. I again quote the Message of Pope Leo XIV: “If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation. There is a clear link between peacebuilding and the stewardship of creation: ‘The pursuit of peace by all men and women of good will will certainly be facilitated by a common acknowledgement of the inseparable relationship that exists between God, human beings, and the whole of creation.’”
With this reflection – and in reference to the negotiations on a “Just Transition” – the Holy See has intervened to reaffirm that the progress achieved at COP28 must not be weakened, including the fundamental commitment to transition away from fossil fuels, but must coexist with particular attention to those who are most affected by climate change and by the responses to it.
The Holy See also underlines the importance of fairer financial mechanisms, because the poorest populations are the most vulnerable to climate change, becoming its first victims. Genuine solidarity must animate those financing mechanisms based on fraternity. In this perspective, and particularly in this Jubilee year, the Holy See recalls that the cancellation – and not simply the easing – of sovereign debt, connected with ecological debt, represents a necessary measure to support the most affected countries. This is not only an ethical proposal but a concrete strengthening of the policies indispensable for achieving an authentic “just transition.”
The Holy See is also taking part in the negotiations on a new Gender Action Plan. It does so in the awareness that women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change, particularly in the Global South, and that they play an important role in addressing its consequences. This central aspect, on which all Delegations should focus their efforts, must never be forgotten in the negotiating process of the Gender Action Plan. Yet there are attempts to use non-consensual or controversial language and concepts which inevitably undermine progress. We can think, for example, of the inclusion in the text of sexual and reproductive rights, which include abortion – something the Holy See cannot in any way accept. This is, in fact, a diversion from the real issue under discussion, such as the participation of women in decision-making and negotiating processes, the promotion of education (including through the media), and support from developed countries to developing countries also within the Gender Action Plan framework. Many women, especially in the Global South, can benefit from what the Action Plan provides, and this is the objective we should look to with a constructive spirit and in good faith, setting aside self-interest.
I would also like to recall that the Holy See is committed to responding to the obligations undertaken with its accession to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and to the Paris Agreement. It is well known that the climate-altering emissions of the Vatican City State are infinitesimal at the global level; nonetheless, the Vatican City State invests in substantial emission-reduction projects, as well as engaging with determination in initiatives of education toward integral ecology which, in addition to reducing greenhouse gases, bring ethical and social benefits.
Read the complete article in Vatican News here