Vatican City, 1 December 2015 (VIS) –
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin spoke yesterday at the
opening of the 21st Conference of States Parties to the Convention
COP 21, held in Paris from 30 November to 11 December. After
communicating Pope Francis' greetings and encouragement to the the
participants in the hope of a fruitful outcome, the Cardinal
mentioned the Holy Father's address to the United Nations Office at
Nairobi on 26 November, when he expressed his hope that the Paris
conference result in the adoption of a “global and
transformational” agreement, based on the principles of solidarity,
justice, equality and participation, orientated towards the
attainment of three complex and interdependent objectives: mitigating
the effects of climate change, combating poverty, and promoting the
dignity of the human person.
He went on to list the three pillars of
this “global and transformational” agreement. “The first
consists in the adoption of a clear ethical orientation, inspiring
the motivations and aims of the Agreement to be implemented. We are
well aware that the people most vulnerable to the impact of the
phenomenon of climate change are the poorest and future generations,
who suffer the gravest consequences, often without bearing any
responsibility. … Faced with the urgency of a situation that
requires the broadest collaboration possible so as to reach a common
plan, it is important that this Agreement be focused on the
recognition both of the ethical imperative to act in a context of
global solidarity, and of the common but differentiated
responsibilities of all actors in accordance with their respective
capacities and conditions”.
“The second pillar regards the fact
that the Agreement should not only identify the methods for its
implementation, but should also and above all transmit clear signs to
guide the behaviour of all the actors involved, beginning with
governments, but also local authorities, the world of business, the
scientific community and civil society. … This necessitates
undertaking with conviction the road towards a low-carbon economy and
full human development. … In this regard, the countries with
greater resources and capacities should set a good example,
contributing resources to those countries in greater need so as to
promote sustainable development policies and programmes. For
instance, the promotion of renewable energy and dematerialisation, as
well as the development of energy efficiency, come to mind, or the
correct management of forests, transport and waste; the development
of a circular model for the economy; the implementation of
appropriate, sustainable and diversified programmes for food safety
and to combat food waste; strategies against speculation and
ineffective or indeed at times harmful subsidies; and the development
and transfer of suitable technologies”.
The third and final pillar is the
vision of the future. “COP 21 is not a moment of arrival or a
starting point, but rather a crucial path in a process that without
doubt will not end in 2015”, emphasised Cardinal Parolin. “An
agreement with a long term perspective of this type should provide
for processes for the revision of commitments and transparent,
effective and dynamic follow-ups, able to progressively increase the
level of ambition, as well as to guarantee suitable control.
Furthermore, it is necessary to take into serious consideration the
implementation of sustainable models of production and consumption,
new attitudes, and new lifestyles. Here we enter the fundamental
fields of education and training, unfortunately often situated at the
margins of negotiations for international agreements. Technical
solutions are necessary, but they are not enough if they do not
consider education in sustainable life styles and responsible
awareness”.
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