Catholic campaigners urge Trump to continue US environmental policies

The US-based Catholic Climate Covenant is asking Catholics across North America to sign its petition urging the incoming president to continue the nation's commitments to address climate change.

Endorsed by more than a dozen Catholic groups - including the Global Catholic Climate Movement and the Franciscan Action Network the petition states:

'As members of the Catholic community in the United States, we are praying that your presidency may be blessed with wisdom and compassion. As you take office, we urge you to demonstrate bold leadership in addressing the climate crisis by honoring the Paris Agreement, contributing to the Green Climate Fund, and implementing the Clean Power Plan.

Because climate change is already harming millions of people across the US and around the globe, Pope Francis has called national leaders to work together to address this crisis. Similarly, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) strongly supports a national carbon pollution standard as essential to effective implementation of the Paris Agreement.

In order to limit the impacts of climate change on creation and on the human family, we urge you to:

Maintain the United States' moral leadership on climate change by honoring the Paris Agreement (COP21) and taking swift action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 26 and 28 percent compared with 2005 levels by 2025;

Support sustainable development and address the underlying causes of migration by honoring the United States' initial pledge of $3 billion and further supporting the Green Climate Fund to help poor countries adapt to the effects of climate change;

Support job creation and economic opportunity by encouraging states to craft plans to reach and exceed their Clean Power Plan carbon reduction goals by transitioning to renewable energy sources like wind and solar power and enacting energy efficiency and conservation standards.

An overwhelming majority of Catholics in the United States (73 percent) believe that government needs to do more to address the issue of climate change - a sentiment repeatedly expressed by Pope Francis and our Bishops.

As the leader of the most powerful country in the world, you have a critical role to play in solving this crisis. We urge you to take swift and meaningful action before it is too late.'

Source: https://catholicecology.net/blog/petitioning-trump

See the petition here: www.catholicclimatecovenant.org/trumppetition

Read also: ICN 10 November 2016 Under Trump, US in danger of being left behind by clean energy revolution www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=31314