The Vatican has urged COP27 to commit to a “concrete decision” on loss and damage in a spirit of solidarity to respond urgently “to the cries of the poorest”.
Archbishop Nicolas Thevenin, Apostolic Nuncio to Egypt and delegate of the Holy See to the League of Arab States, called for transformation from a throwaway culture to a culture of care.
Speaking for the Holy See in its first time taking the floor on the issue of “cover” decisions, he said: “A new facility on loss and damage is urgent to respond to the cries of the poorest. We must ensure that the concrete mechanisms necessary can be established in a timely fashion following this decision.
“The non-economic side of loss and damage must not be neglected and we can make strong progress on this especially by listening to the voices of indigenous peoples.”
He said Pope Francis had been clear on the need for comprehensive action on debt relief.
He emphasised the “urgency” for far-sighted actions to face the climate crisis, which affects especially the poorest and the most vulnerable. These concrete actions must strengthen what for the Holy See are the four pillars of the Paris Agreement: mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage and education, he continued.
“We all know that political, technical and operational measures are not enough. They must be combined with an educational approach that promotes new lifestyles, while fostering a renewed pattern of development and sustainability based on care, fraternity and cooperation.”
Archbishop Thevenin said there was no choice but to keep 1.5°C alive, to avoid hitting the tipping points beyond which there is “no return”. Another issue that the Holy See would like to underline is the fact that “we cannot ignore the direct link between climate, food, and water crises,” he added.
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