Jesuit Missions (JM) will attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn later this month (June 16-26) as part of its ongoing commitment to environmental protection.
Campaigns and Advocacy Officer Richard Solly will sit in on the talks, where he will have the chance to engage with key decision makers and other faith organisations.
Others, including representatives from its Jesuit partners the Centre Arrupe Madagascar, will take part virtually.
JM’s attendance in Germany is the latest step in raising awareness around climate change and environmental degradation, and the harmful impact these have on its partners in the Global South.
The talks focus on the technical and scientific aspects of climate change, and the recommendations made are influential when it comes to taking practical measures to address the issue.
JM – and other Jesuit works – will provide daily updates from the conference, which will be shared on its website and social media platforms.
Paul Chitnis, Director of Jesuit Missions, said: “The climate talks in Bonn are an opportunity for Jesuit Missions to highlight the devastating effect climate change is having on our partners in the Global South.
“In places like South Sudan, Madagascar and Ethiopia, extreme weather patterns combine with food security, political instability and forced migration to rob millions of people of their livelihoods and, all too often, their lives.
“Inspired by Pope Francis’s urgent call – echoed loudly by Jesuits across the world – to hear, and respond to, the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, we have a duty to ensure world governments turn words into action.
“Our message is clear: It is not too late to prevent catastrophic climate change if politicians, businesses and all of us act now.”
Participation in the Bonn talks is part of the wider Jesuits for Climate Justice campaign, leading up to the major climate conference COP30, which will be held in Belem, Brazil, later this year.
Here, JM is working with other Jesuit organisations across the world, including the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat in Rome, Jesuit European Social Centre in Brussels, and Jesuítas Brasil, calling on global leaders to take quick and decisive action on the environment.
JM has consistently engaged with COPs, including funding the attendance of the Centre Arrupe Madagascar at last year’s edition in Baku, Azerbaijan.
More news
Mass held to celebrate Jesuit schools’ ‘Pilgrimage of Hope’ fundraising drive
Jesuit Missions publishes resources on global debt crisis and why it affects us all
Taxing polluters and mega rich could provide £115bn of climate finance, letter to Keir Starmer suggests
