Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Pope Francis issues a stark warning about the impacts of climate change. He warned that the world in which humans live is collapsing and may be approaching its breaking point.
“Despite attempts to deny, hide, ignore or relativize this problem, the signs of climate change are still present and increasingly clear,” said the Pope in a letter entitled Laudate Deum or Praise of God, quoted from CNBC International, Saturday, (21/10/ 2023).
The Catholic religious leader said that no one can ignore the fact that in recent years humanity has witnessed extreme weather phenomena, frequent occurrences of unusual heat, droughts and other calls for protest on earth, which are just some of the vivid examples of the calamities that strike everyone .
The report also emphasizes that certain climate changes triggered by humanity are increasing the likelihood of more frequent and intense extreme phenomena.
The first part of this letter seeks to contextualize the situation in 2023, which marks changes since the publication of the encyclical ‘Laudato si’ in 2015.
Pope Francis highlighted the impact of climate change on human life. He also realized that society’s solutions and responses were inadequate, while the world he lived in was collapsing and perhaps approaching its breaking point.
This is felt in a variety of areas, from forced migration and health services to housing, access to resources and employment sources, he said.
COP28, fossil fuels and renewable energy
Pope Francis also touched on the upcoming COP28 climate change summit in the United Arab Emirates, which will start at the end of November.
His letter described the UAE as a country in the Persian Gulf known as a large exporter of fossil fuels, even though the country has made large investments in renewable energy sources.
The report also noted oil and gas companies are still “planning new projects there, with the aim of further increasing their production.”
The UAE has previously been criticized for its COP28 presidency, given its role as a large fossil fuel producer.
The pope expressed his hope that those participating in the conference would be “strategists capable of considering the common good and the future of their children, more than the short-term interests of particular countries or businesses,” and that the meeting would lead to “binding interests.”
He also believes that the transition to environmentally friendly energy sources and the elimination of fossil fuels is not currently proceeding quickly and anything that is done risks being seen as just a tactic to divert attention.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
(dce)
Originally posted 2023-10-21 11:15:00.