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Jeffrey Gogo Climate Change
POPE Benedict Francis last Thursday waded into the climate change debate. He was backing established scientific findings that the problem was man-made and called on rich countries to stop pollution and help the poor adapt, fast.

As head of the world’s biggest Church, the Pope has guarantees that 1,2 billion Catholic faithfuls will listen to his message, the first such environment-centred message by any pontiff in 50 years, but not everyone will be obedient.

“Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with irony or disdain.

“We may well be leaving to coming generations debris, desolation and filth,” said Pope Francis in a large volume letter that touched on many issues including wealth disparities and the fallacy of carbon trading.

His statements are much more than just political, but also moral and ethical. Pope Francis’ message is clearly designed to influence in some way the outcome of a new climate change deal expected to be agreed in Paris come December.

While climate change perpetrators would be aggrieved that the Pope is straying from towing the religious line, his message must be heard, and heard clearly by those who hold the levers of power in politics, those that have held back rapid climate action.

And we know who these are; the United States, the European Union and the other culprits in the developed world including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

As the first Pope from a developing nation, one which has suffered the disproportionate impacts of climate change, Pope Francis is well aware of the costs of inaction, particularly on the poor, even when he is not a scientist.

In his native Argentina, heavy rainfall events have become common since 1901, causing manifold damage and land loss while temperatures are expected to sore an unbearable 3,5 degrees Celsius in this century under the worst case scenario, scientists say.

But just like Africa, adaptation remains a major concern in Latin America where poverty remains entrenched for thousands of families that depend on agriculture.

And that’s the cause Latin America – again like Africa – wants the Paris agreement to recognise adaptation as a stand alone item, equal in importance with mitigation.

That’s the reason Pope Francis has called on rich countries, who have long taken responsibility for fuelling climate change, to pay for adaptation in developing countries and for them to take on urgent measures to phase out carbon-producing fossil fuels in favour of renewables.

It is purely a moral and ethical issue. With adaptation lagging, the pontiff urged global political leaders to hear “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” so as to avoid the catastrophic impacts of climate change, already being felt at a massive scale worldwide.

With Pope Francis’ letter, the developed world’s commitment to addressing climate change has once again been brought into question.

It is absurd to expect the poor victims of climate change to pay for damages caused by the rich, which the industrialised countries are trying to force through in the Paris deal.

We already know that industrialised states have failed to fulfil their mitigation pledges under the Kyoto Protocol and that they are dilly-dallying on the $100 billion climate finance promise until 2020.

There is no guarantee that the recent emissions reduction pledges presented by the world’s biggest polluters to the UN, as part of measures to fulfilling the demands of a new climate agreement will be met to the letter.

Accountability, transparency and dishonesty have constantly raised their ugly heads as potential threats to a treaty acceptable to and by all.

The Pope believes such indifferences will not be resolved by resorting to crafty market based mechanisms such as the carbon trading system.

“This system seems to provide a quick and easy solution under the guise of a certain commitment to the environment, but in no way does it allow for the radical change which present circumstances require,” said the Pope’s letter.

A multi-billion carbon market has emerged. Through carbon credits – the equivalent of a tonne of carbon dioxide – monetary compensation is paid for projects that limit emissions growth in tropical forests.

Most of these credits are bought by rich countries keen to compensate for pollution in their home economies, but the system has weakness.

Currently, the market is flooded, prices have crashed to below $1 from over $7 two years ago and are not expected to recover until after 2018, experts say. Several public and private projects in developing countries remain stuck with unsold credits.

Power of religion

By dedicating time to write widely about climate change, Pope Francis has reinforced the role that religion can play in mitigating the phenomenon’s impacts.

The church is a powerful institution that commands tremendous respect, dedication and loyalty from its followers. With nearly a third of the world population or 2,2 billion people declared Christians, according to figures from PEW Research Centre, a US firm, the church wields vast influence, which can yield several benefits for the climate change sector.

Christians have an immense ability to bring about widespread positive change, which is anchored on their firm beliefs of preserving and protecting the Earth, according to Biblical teachings.

They have an inherent obligation to themselves and to God for advancing the environmental cause.

While Pope Francis correctly blames mankind for the climate change problem, there are fundamental beliefs among many Christians worldwide that climate change and its devastating effects are much more than the result of man’s carelessness.

Leaders of the church are convinced the current increases in the frequency and extremity of natural disasters coupled with disease and wars are signs of the end times.

Most of the occurrences in the world today are consistent with biblical prophecies contained in many books of the Bible including Matthew, Daniel and Revelations.

On its own, the human species will achieve very limited results, if at all, in addressing the dangers of climate change and global warming unless they turn to God, Christians say.

Just how seriously will politicians consider religion as the world labours towards Paris? Your guess is as good as mine.

God is faithful.

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