Global Civil Society Network Urges African Unity “against climate injustice” During COP27

“Africa and other poor nations must be united in their demands to fight against climate injustice,” she further said, and added, “Africa, the poor and the vulnerable across the world need to stand united for a common good, for our common home, and for climate justice.”

Reflecting on Pope Francis' Encyclical Letter on the environment, Laudato Si', Ms. Essop said she found it regrettable that countries around the world have ignored the “inspirational message” from the Papal document.

“The world unfortunately did not listen to the inspiration that came out of Laudato Si’, did not take the voice of faith-based organizations and civil society seriously enough, that is why we are witnessing that we have moved backwards instead of forward,” she said.

Ms. Essop added, “The trends emerging now are not just in terms of what's happening with the climate; the climate impacts are being felt far more sharply in the developing world, and especially in Africa, but we have also seen trends that are really working against the very important theme of taking care of our common home and to act in the interest of the common good.”

“As we speak right now, there is no funding for addressing loss and damage in the global sphere,” the CAN Executive Director told the dozens of representatives of various organizations who participated in the October 17 virtual conference.

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She continued, “We know that rich nations did not deliver their obligation of 100 billion dollars per annum by 2020. This is a huge injustice.”

“We are so happy to hear that the communiqué addresses the demand to establish a loss and damage finance facility so that the funds can be provided to address the impacts that many of the poor and vulnerable are facing across the world, the ones who are least responsible for the climate crisis in the first place and that is a fundamental injustice,” Ms. Essop said.

In the communiqué that the First Vice President of SECAM read out on October 17 on behalf of Catholic Bishops in Africa and members of the African Climate Dialogues steering committee, climate change was described as “a moral outrage”, which has plunged many populations on the African continent into deep suffering.

“Climate change is a moral outrage. It is a tragic and striking example of structural sin, facilitated by callous indifference and selfish greed. The climate crisis is leading to the destruction of our planet, the devastation of the lives of the poor, and the detriment of future generations,” Fridolin Besungu Cardinal Ambongo said.

Cardinal Ambongo added, “We, Church leaders and civil society organizations in Africa and beyond, demand world leaders, business leaders and decision makers to heed to this important communiqué, and in so doing, heed to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth.”