CAFOD: World leaders at COP24 have failed to listen

CAFOD campaigners make a 1.5 at COP24

Source: CAFOD

In their final statement at the end of the COP24 UN climate talks, CAFOD said: "World leaders failed to listen to the cries of the poor and those on the frontline of the climate crisis at COP24 UN climate talks in Katowice, Poland. CAFOD believes countries' efforts so far has been inadequate to the challenge in front of all of us. Whilst the UN summit in Katowice, Poland agreed on most of the foundational aspects to implement the Paris Agreement the responses to the urgent and vital questions on increasing governments ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions did not match the scale of the problem.

At COP24, the leaders achieved the minimum of what is needed, but it is no way near what is required. The message before this COP from scientists, from poor communities across the world and from CAFOD supporters and Church leaders was that we need immediate and transformational action to keep global warming below 1.5°C. The IPCC report released in October from the leading scientists was clear and unequivocal on the need for urgent action and increased ambition.

Neil Thorns, Advocacy Director of CAFOD, said: "Once again, leaders have ignored the science and the urgent cries of the poorest communities who are on the frontline. Governments must go home, raise the ambition in their national plans and bring them to the UN Secretary General summit in September. As we've heard often in the last two weeks, tomorrow is today - we cannot wait."

See also: IPCC report - Climate change must be kept under 1.5 degrees to tackle poverty https://cafod.org.uk/News/Campaigning-news/IPCC-report-1.5-climate-change