VATICAN CITY, Holy See - Pope Francis warned Wednesday the world "is collapsing" due to global warming, urging participants of the upcoming COP28 climate talks to agree to binding policies on phasing out fossil fuels.
“Praise God” is the title of this letter. For when human beings pretend to take God’s place, they become their own worst enemies. #LaudateDeumhttps://t.co/muiw0S01BZBut he said the next round of UN climate talks opening in Dubai on November 30 "can represent a change of direction", if participants make binding agreements on moving from fossil fuels to clean energy sources such as wind and solar.
But the UN warned last month the world is not on track to meet these goals, while climate monitors predict 2023 will be the hottest in human history, with the Northern Hemisphere's summer marked by heatwaves, droughts and wildfires. "To say that there is nothing to hope for would be suicidal, for it would mean exposing all humanity, especially the poorest, to the worst impacts of climate change," wrote Francis.
"Despite all attempts to deny, conceal, gloss over or relativise the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident," he wrote.Climate change has been a major theme of Francis' ten years as head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, and he has drawn on science but also offered a strong moral message.