#TheTimeisNow: Jesuit Missions make noise for climate

Wimbledon College students on Westminster Bridge

Source: Jesuit Media

More than 100 Jesuit Missions supporters joined members of The Climate Coalition at parliament yesterday, to lobby MPs to take immediate action on climate change.

Richard Greenwood, Outreach and Communications Manager at Jesuit Missions said: "It was a great day, and fantastic to have a number of different school groups join us. In addition to pupils from our Jesuit school Wimbledon College, we were also joined by pupils from St Benedict's and the Ursuline High School in Wimbledon."

The Jesuit Missions group met at Mount Street in the morning where they heard from Mr Tim Farron MP and Jesuit provincial Fr Damian Howard SJ who spoke about why climate change is such an important issue for the Jesuits in Britain.

At 2pm, whilst waiting in line to meet their MP's people rang their alarms sending a message that the government needs to wake up and respond to the immediate challenges our world is facing.

While lobbying their MPs, Jesuit Missions supporters were able to use examples provide by Jesuit Missions of how climate change is already affecting some of the most vulnerable communities in the world such as fishing communities in the Philippines and India, and the increase in weather related disasters such as Cyclone Idai which affected Southern Africa earlier this year.

Richard Greenwood said: "There is a far greater sense of urgency now that the world is waking up to the climate emergency we are facing. It is vital that the government introduce a strong environment bill that sets a clear direction for how we will meet the 2050 target. Without a plan and practical steps to hit this target it will just remain a fanciful ambition."

Jesuit Missions is the international development and mission office for the Jesuits in Britain. For over 50 years it has supported vulnerable communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America.