Irish Bishop issues urgent appeal to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan

Bishop Martin Hayes Image: CCO archive

Source: Irish Catholic Media Office

Ahead of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, which will run from tomorrow, 11 to 22 November, Bishop Martin Hayes has published the following statement:

COP29 seeks to agree on how much money should go each year to helping developing countries cope with climate-related costs. Pope Francis addressed this issue in his encyclical letter Laudato Si' (Praise be to you, my Lord), in 2015, as follows,"Every ecological approach needs to incorporate a social perspective which takes into account the fundamental rights of the poor and the underprivileged" (LS 93).

As Irish negotiators prepare to travel to Baku, I urge them to be, on our behalf, generous of spirit in recognising the burden imposed on poor countries by rich countries like Ireland.

Prior to COP28 in 2023, Pope Francis published his apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum (Praise God for all his creatures), in which he highlighted our dependence of our world on fossil fuels causing climate change, the need for a commitment to a global common good with agreement on prioritising renewable energy measures as well as the failures of international politics, and the weak implementation of COP recommendations.

These same issues remain, and difficult decisions must be taken at a global and national level to avoid potential tipping points in our climate. Major reductions of emissions are needed across all sectors of the economy to meet our legal obligations domestically and internationally. I ask that our political leaders ensure aspirations are turned into implementation, accompanied by a just transition for those whom change is difficult. Pope Francis encourages us when he says, "one can only hope for binding forms of energy transition that meet three conditions: that they be efficient, obligatory and readily monitored." (LD 59).

The intertwined climate and biodiversity emergencies require radical and carefully aligned actions to be undertaken. In this regard, I wish to highlight the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference initiative to return 30% of church grounds to nature by 2030. It can be a positive first step on the part of parish communities. Similar initiatives are required on a global scale to respond to the call of Laudato Si'.

The recent tragic events in Spain have demonstrated the vulnerability of even a well-developed European country to extreme events supercharged by greenhouse gas emissions. It is essential that countries, especially, developing countries without the necessary resources to counteract the impact of climate change are rendered more resilient. This can only be assured at a global scale by the necessary transfer of finance and technology to those who cannot themselves afford it.

Pope Francis is critical of how "international negotiations cannot make significant progress due to positions taken by countries which place their national interests above the global common good" (LD 52). At COP29, global leaders have a chance to secure transfer of finance and support to those who are at the coalface of this climate crisis.

Climate displacement is increasingly an existential issue which should be prioritised in every political action and manifesto. The ethical consequences of failing to do so is of acute concern to the Irish Bishops' Conference, as highlighted in our recent Pastoral Letter entitled "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes? It invites parishioners to reflect on how to welcome immigrants some of whom have been displaced due to the impact of climate change.

Pope Francis concluded Laudate Deum by stating "may those taking part in the Conference (COP) be strategists capable of considering the common good and the future of their children, more than the short-term interests of certain countries and businesses ... may they demonstrate the nobility of politics and not its shame." (LD 60). The same challenge which Pope Francis issued prior to COP28, applies to those participating in COP29.

Bishop Martin Hayes is Bishop of Kilmore, and Laudato Si' coordinator of the Bishops' Conference.

CIDSE (including Trócaire, CAFOD UK and SCIAF) will be attending COP29. Many faith groups will be participating in the "faith pavilion" at COP29 which gathers faith representatives and campaigners to amplify the vital intersection between faith, justice and environmental stewardship.

There will be relevant discussions and key campaigns to inform supporters and lobby politicians. More information can be found here: www.faithpavilion.com CIDSE links; www.cidse.org/2024/10/28/cidsecop29/

The Irish Bishops' Conference divested their shared assets from the fossil fuel industry in 2018, becoming the first Bishops' Conference in the world to do so. Since then, 12 individual dioceses in Ireland have fully divested from fossil fuels and many others are in process.

For further information on the Return to Nature Biodiversity project see: www.catholicbishops.ie/laudato-si/returning-to-nature/

Background to climate targets and a just transition

The basis for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) establishes the common governmental responsibility for anthropogenic climate change and the environmental destruction associated with it. This is an acknowledgement of the different capabilities and differing responsibilities of individual countries in addressing climate change.

After the acceptance of the major share of responsibility for climate change on the part of the developed countries, this COP will primarily focus on operationalising the finance flows that are intended to equip developing countries to cope with the problem. This will necessitate an approach based on just transition.

An annual transfer of $100 billion was agreed several years ago, but reluctance on the part of the developed countries to donate this amount meant that it was only reached in 2022. The ask for this new round is 10 times higher $1 trillion. The real amount to recognise the damage caused should probably be $5 trillion spread over 190 countries.

Global greenhouse gas emissions are continuing to rise and are currently on track to deliver warming of 2.6-2.8 degrees celcius above pre-industrial levels. This would be catastrophic for ecosystems, food security and habitability of large tracks of the earth and would inevitably provoke conflict and displacement on a grand scale.

Pledges made by countries are not being lived up to. Avoiding the potential tipping point of 1.5 degrees celcius would require a 42% cut in emissions by 2030.