Cardinal Heads Climate Justice Delegation in New York

Cardinal Keith O’Brien told world leaders to put aside "political wrangling and national self-interest" and prioritise the needs of the world’s poor during high-level climate change talks with Heads of States at the United Nations (UN) in New York.

Heading a delegation of bishops and climate experts from around the world, the Cardinal was representing SCIAF as part of the CIDSE and Caritas Internationalis coalitions of Catholic aid agencies which together represent the largest humanitarian and development alliance in the world.

Ahead of the meetings Cardinal O’Brien said:

“Climate change is another situation where the poor of the world are paying for the over-consumption of the rich. Global warming is too important an issue for political wrangling and short-term national interest.

“Leaders should be getting down to serious negotiations for the sake of all humanity. Instead, we are seeing political disagreements and a lack of commitment. The lives of millions of people in the developing world, who have done least to cause the problem, are at stake”.

The UN high-level negotiations in New York are part of a series of UN-led events to agree a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol which will be finalised in Copenhagen in December, and seen by many as the last chance to tackle dangerous climate change. Currently, industrialised nations are falling short in their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide sufficient funding to help developing countries cope and adapt to climate change.

Cardinal O’Brien took part in a UN Leadership Forum on Climate Change with Heads of States and key players within the UN, including Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Yvo de Boer, head of the UNFCCC, the body responsible for finding a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol.

Cardinal O’Brien added:

“Wealthy nations bear the greatest responsibility for creating this problem because of their large-scale emissions of greenhouse gases, which result from the burning of fossil fuels to generate economic wealth.

“I will be calling on all Heads of States from wealthy industrialised nations to show the moral and political leadership that is urgently needed. They must give this issue the highest political priority over the coming months and commit to attending the Copenhagen Summit in December to make sure a strong and equitable agreement is reached.

“I will also be pointing out that in my own country, Scotland, we have shown through our ambitious Climate Act, which commits Scotland to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2020 (on 1990 levels), that it is possible to take the urgent political action necessary to head off the worst effects of climate change.”

SCIAF’s Chief Executive Paul Chitnis accompanied the cardinal as part of the delegation. He said:

“High levels of existing poverty, poor infrastructure, and the strong dependence on rain-fed agriculture mean that people living in developing countries are so much more vulnerable than we in developed nations.

“All wealthy nations must start committing to substantial reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions, and provide the necessary financial and technical support to help developing countries adapt to climate change, if a meaningful global agreement on the issue is to be agreed in Copenhagen in December.”