Ignatian family issue statement of commitment to climate justice ahead of COP26

Source: EcoJesuit

The Ignatian family, with its collaborators and partners, comes together in this collective statement, Towards COP26: Advocating for Climate Justice, A Commitment from the Ignatian Family, to change and for change, an awakening at a time of massive global challenges that upended all spheres of human life and activities.

The world stood still as the virus spread, and had to work together to respond. The climate crisis is likewise spreading as the planet warms, and COP26 in November seeks commitments from all nations and peoples to act and avert the Earth's deterioration, resonating with the theme for Earth Day 2021: Restore our earth.

Thus, this is a crucial time for a commitment by which we need to stay engaged in all discussions by integrating the different concerns that reflect the same issues. There are those who signed this document and are dealing with migration, with the raw poverty from the margins, with good governance, with economy and human development, food insecurity, health safety, biodiversity loss and protection, disaster risk reduction, and human rights for all, among many others.

All these elements have a role as we are all asked to work together towards common but differentiated responses. The calls for change and action cut across all our ministries and there is a great willingness from those who have been working on climate action and climate justice. We need to expand this awakened willingness to commit by strengthening and supporting the "integratedness" of the different concerns and calls for action.

All these are phases and dimensions faced in COP26 and we all need to find ways to highlight these and put strong support behind our political institutions for a commitment to the Paris Agreement.

Our commitment is a covenant. Even if politicians and business people give up, we do not give up. We always seek to uphold the voices of the poor, allow the youth have a future, and ensure the inclusion and leadership of Indigenous Peoples - all for the care of our common home.

We need to keep the statement alive, keep all informed, seek updates and suggestions, and always be on the lookout for the conversion in action taking place.

It is a time of great challenge, but there is also a call of great hope.