Global South bishops call for ‘significant reduction in energy consumption’

‘Caring for our common home is not just a technical matter of replacing the energy matrix with renewables, but also the recognition of the limits to consumption.’

The preferential option for the poor and responsibility of caring for creation at the heart of Catholic social teaching make it a “moral and political imperative” to adopt a treaty to stop proliferation of fossil fuels, church leaders from the Global South have said.

A treaty to stop the expansion of fossil fuel exploitation and manage a just transition away from coal, oil and gas to clean energy, the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty was first presented to the United Nations by the small island state of Vanuatu at COP27 in 2022.

It has so far been joined by 18 countries, and the Catholic bishops of England and Wales have urged the UK government to support it.

The representatives of the bishops’ conferences of the Global South, who together represent 955 million Catholics and 68 per cent of the Catholics in the world, launched their “manifesto for our common home”, drawing on discussions at COP30 in preparation for COP31 in November 2026, at an online gathering on 16 March attended by more than 1,000 participants.

The manifesto is signed by Cardinal Jaime Spengler, president of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, and Cardinal Felipe Neri, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, with Europe’s Cardinal Ladislav Nemet and Oceania’s Mgr Ryan Pagante Jiménez as accompanying signatories.

The manifesto said the “signs of the times” at this “pivotal moment in history” are “undeniable”, observing: “the last three years have seen record global warming, a robust indicator of the intensification of human-driven warming of the climate system”.

“As pilgrim Churches in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia, we witness that climate change is not only an environmental crisis, but also a consequence of unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and an ‘economy that kills’, which is expressed as a social, cultural and spiritual crisis that threatens human dignity and peace.”

The manifesto emphasised that the science is clear that “the primary cause of this imminent collapse is the large-scale and continuous burning of coal, oil, and gas”, which accounts for 86 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions over the decade from 2010 to 2019.

The bishops celebrated the Paris Agreement as an “essential framework” for global climate action, but warned that the agreement does not explicitly name fossil fuels as the core problem or restrict their production, and that current government plans make it impossible to keep global warming in line with the 1.5°C limit set by the agreement.

The Global South church leaders urged governments to adopt the fossil fuel treaty to complement the Paris Agreement, addressing the root of the problem by immediately ceasing all new exploration and production of coal, oil and gas and ensuring a fair and inclusive shift to renewable energy.

“A significant reduction in energy consumption by the wealthiest nations is essential, as they must assume their historical responsibility through concrete actions. This must be accompanied by deep reflection: for what and for whom is energy available, and what are the costs?”

They emphasised that rich countries, whose wealth has been built upon the exploitation of fossil fuels, bear an ecological debt to the Global South and must assume a leadership role in the transition away from fossil fuels, including by providing financial assistance and technology transfer to enable developing countries to adopt clean energy pathways without compromising their development.

The bishops denounced the “immoral” financial system that “forces nations of the South to pay more in debt service than they receive in climate finance”.

“Caring for our common home is not just a technical matter of replacing the energy matrix with renewables, but also the recognition of the limits to consumption accompanied by a fair distribution of the earth’s goods,” the manifesto continued.

The bishops lamented the “return to policies of ‘energy dominance’” in recent geopolitical events, which have been marked by “the aggressive expansion of oil and gas, environmental deregulation, and the use of force to secure resources, [which] continues to fuel conflicts and forms of petro-imperialism”.

“When energy security takes precedence over international law, the sovereignty of peoples, and commitments to creation, cooperation between nations is weakened, and a just transition becomes more difficult,” the manifesto said.

“Moving beyond fossil fuels is not only an ecological imperative: it is a condition for peace, fraternity, justice and the protection of those who suffer most.”

The bishops said that the Catholic faith condemns “throwaway culture” and the “technocratic paradigm that seeks only profit”, and advocated “reducing voracious consumption in rich nations to allow all inhabitants of the planet to have access to clean energy and a dignified life”.

They rejected “neo-extractivism”, “false solutions”, “green capitalism” and “green marketing”, warning that the “transition cannot be based on creating new ‘sacrifice zones’ for the extraction of critical minerals in the Global South, nor on the financialisation of nature through carbon markets that do not reduce real emissions”.

“When rights are curtailed, environmental protection is weakened, and the defence of territory is criminalised; inequality grows, and a model that puts profit before human dignity is imposed,” they said. “A truly just transition requires strengthening democracy, guaranteeing fundamental human rights, and ensuring that no one is left out of the process of change.”

They urged governments to ensure the safety and participation of men and women from indigenous and local communities in decision-making, and to recognise their sovereignty over their ancestral territories.

“As a pilgrim Church in the world, aware of our historical and moral responsibility, we reaffirm that the defence of life and human dignity requires us to act decisively in the face of the socio-environmental crisis. We cannot be indifferent when economic and financial models put human life at risk and transgress the planet’s limits.

“We commit ourselves to promoting a just energy transition, to reviewing our own practices, including divestment from fossil fuels, and to accompanying communities that sustain resistance and resilience in their territories with hope.

“We add our voices to Pope Leo XIV’s urgent call to be builders of ‘an unarmed and disarming peace’ in the world. Many of today’s wars are motivated by control over sources and material goods for energy production. This production is geared toward the infinite development of the industry of war and death.

“An energy transition is not enough; a profound socioeconomic and cultural transformation is urgently needed to promote new lifestyles and modes of production that lead us to good living and living well.

“We invite all people of goodwill to join a historic coalition between North and South to protect our common home. Time is short, but hope mobilises us. A world free of fossil fuels, just and at peace, is possible and necessary.”

Pope Leo XIV sent a message of encouragement to the Sixth Assembly of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazonia (CEAMA) on 17 March, in which he said that the Church must be a “sign of unity and diversity” to respond to “the many social, environmental, cultural, and ecclesial challenges that persist in the Amazon, threatened by situations of abuse and exploitation”.

At the online event on 16 March, the Laudato Si’ Movement presented a “Catholic Theological Reflection on the Proposal for a Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative”, supported by Cafod, Caritas Internationalis, Pax Christi International and others.

The executive director of the Laudato Si’ Movement, Lorna Gold, said: “This theological reflection helps clarify why addressing fossil fuel expansion is not only a political or economic issue, but a profound moral and spiritual question. Catholic social teaching calls us to protect life, uphold justice, and act with prudence in the face of grave risks to our common home.”

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