Vatican City – July 2, 2025 : In a strong moral appeal ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Archbishop of Goa and President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), has urged global leaders and societies to embrace climate justice and ecological conversion, calling for a shift that is not only systemic but deeply spiritual.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Holy See Press Office on Tuesday, Cardinal Ferrao, along with Church leaders from Africa and Latin America, unveiled a document titled:
“A Call for Climate Justice and the Common Home: Ecological Conversion, Transformation and Resistance to False Solutions.”
This unprecedented joint statement, drafted by representatives from the Global South, demands ethical accountability from developed nations and outlines a vision for a more just and sustainable future. It comes as the world prepares for COP30, which will take place in Brazil this November.
“It’s not diplomatic – it’s pastoral.”
“Our message today is not diplomatic; it is pastoral,” said Cardinal Ferrao. “It is a call to conscience in the face of a system that threatens to devour creation, as if the planet were just another commodity.”
Ferrao emphasized that the Church in Asia joins the “global clamour” for a transformation that is not only technical but also ethical, prophetic, and profoundly human.
He cited the devastating effects of climate change already felt across Asia—typhoons, forced migration, loss of islands, and water pollution—warning that false solutions such as large-scale “green” projects are displacing vulnerable communities under the guise of sustainability.
A Call to the Global North
The cardinal stressed the urgency of operationalising the Loss and Damage Fund and ensuring that affected communities have priority access to adaptation finance.
“It is estimated that the climate debt of the Global North will reach $192 trillion by 2050. Additionally, nearly $2 trillion is extracted annually from the Global South through corporate, banking, and governmental mechanisms,” Ferrao noted.
Ecological Wisdom & Inclusive Action
He advocated for listening to ancestral knowledge, halting the expansion of fossil fuels, and consulting local communities before implementing renewable energy projects. He insisted that climate finance must be fair, accessible, and non-exploitative, especially for women and local organisations.
“As a Church, beyond criticism, we want to promote alternatives—education, degrowth economics, ecological spirituality, and interreligious solidarity,” said Cardinal Ferrao.
COP30: A Moral Turning Point
Other speakers at the Vatican press conference included Cardinal Jaime Spengler (Brazil), Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu (DR Congo), and Dr. Emilce Cuda, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. Together, they emphasized the unified voice of the Global South in demanding a climate agenda that prioritizes justice and the dignity of life.
“We want COP30 to be not just another event, but a moral turning point,” Ferrao concluded. “As Pope Leo XIV has said, we need love and unity to build a new world where peace reigns. May hope flourish among us like a tree of life.”
