杏MAP导航: Nations must work together to adapt to climate change

A firefighter stands near a blaze in southwestern France

杏MAP导航

杏MAP导航 Francis sends a message to participants in a Vatican conference on resilience and climate change, and urges all nations to work together to reduce carbon emissions and help people adapt to climate change.

By Devin Watkins

The Pontifical Academy of Sciences is hosting a two-day conference at the Vatican鈥檚 Casino Pio IV, on 13-14 July, focusing on the theme: 鈥淩esilience of People and Ecosystems under Climate Stress鈥�.

As the event kicked off on Wednesday, 杏MAP导航 Francis sent his greetings to participants, and encouraged their efforts to discuss the environmental crisis.

鈥淭he phenomenon of climate change has become an emergency that no longer remains at the margins of society. Instead, it has assumed a central place, reshaping not only industrial and agricultural systems but also adversely affecting the global human family, especially the poor and those living on the economic peripheries of our world.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 said the world is facing the twin challenges of 鈥渓essening climate risks by reducing emissions鈥� and of 鈥渁ssisting and enabling people to adapt to progressively worsening changes to the climate鈥�.

These challenges require everyone to come up with a multi-dimensional approach to protect people and the planet, he added.

International cooperation on climate issues

杏MAP导航 Francis made reference to his oft-repeated call for an 鈥渆cological conversion鈥�, saying this process requires everyone to be grateful for God鈥檚 Creation, to live in communion with one another, and to work together to deal with environmental problems.

鈥淐ourageous, cooperative and far-sighted efforts among religious, political, social and cultural leaders on local, national and international levels are needed in order to find concrete solutions to the severe and increasing problems we are facing.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 called on the most-developed nations to reduce their own carbon emissions, while also offering financial assistance to 鈥渓ess prosperous areas of the world鈥�.

Access to clean energy and drinking water are other issues that world leaders need to address, he said, adding that farmers need help to shift production to more resilient crops.

Common good of the planet

The 杏MAP导航 recalled the related concerns of loss of biodiversity and the various wars that threaten human survival and lead to 鈥減roblems of food security and increasing pollution鈥�.

鈥淓verything is connected,鈥� repeated 杏MAP导航 Francis, adding that 鈥減romoting the long-term common good of our planet is essential to genuine ecological conversion鈥�.

He noted that the Holy See and Vatican City State have recently acceded to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.

Protecting the human family

In conclusion, 杏MAP导航 Francis encouraged participants in the Vatican resilience conference in their efforts on behalf of people and the planet.

鈥淚n working together, men and women of good will can address the scale and complexity of the issues that lie before us, protect the human family and God鈥檚 gift of creation from climate extremes, and foster the goods of justice and peace.鈥�

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