Katowice, Poland, Dec 4, 2018 / 15:19 pm
At a UN climate change summit in Poland Monday, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin underlined the Holy See's view that climate change is a moral issue and has an effect on human dignity.
"The scientific data at our disposal clearly show the urgent need for swift action, within a context of ethics, equity and social justice," Parolin told the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Dec. 3.
"The transition to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions," he stated, "is a problem not only within the domain of technology, but also a question of consumption patterns, education, and lifestyles. We are gradually becoming aware that climate change is an issue increasingly more moral than technical."
Speaking on the first day of the COP-24 in Katowice, Parolin stressed the Holy See's desire for the work program of the Paris Agreement be built on a "clear ethical foundation," and on a commitment to "advancing the dignity of the human person, alleviating poverty and promoting integral human development."