The Holy See: committed to working against climate change

Vatican City, 24 September 2014 (VIS) – Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin spoke at the Climate Summit held in New York, U.S.A. yesterday afternoon. Faced with the great risks and socio-economic costs of inertia in relation to this problem, he remarked, “prudence must prevail, which requires thoughtful deliberations based on an accurate analysis of the impact our actions will have on the future. This requires a great political and economic commitment on the part of the international community, to which the Holy See wishes to make its own contribution, being aware that 'the gift of knowledge helps us not to fall into attitudes of excess or error'”.

The cardinal went on to emphasise the responsibility of States “to protect the world climate by means of mitigation and adaptation measures, as well as by sharing technologies and 'know-how'. But above all they have a shared responsibility to protect our planet and the human family, ensuring present and future generations have the possibility of living in a safe and worthy environment”. He also mentioned the efforts made by Vatican City State to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels through diversification and energy efficiency projects, but added that “talking about emission reductions is useless if we are not ready to change our lifestyle and the current dominant models of consumption and production”. The Holy See, he concluded, “commits itself to this end, so that in this work the international community may be guided by the ethical imperative to act, inspired by the principles of solidarity and the promotion of the common good, in the knowledge that 'the dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common good are concerns which ought to shape all economic policies'”.