Irish bishops support call on Government to back fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty

Source: Irish Catholic Bishops Conference

Pope Leo XIV: "God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that He created, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters. What will be our answer?"

The Bishops of Ireland have expressed their collective support for the joint Trócaire and Laudato Si' Working Group (LSWG) campaign for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

On behalf of LSWG, Bishop Martin Hayes said,: "Emissions due to the use of fossil fuels have been identified as the main driver of the climate crisis. Despite commitments by Western governments to reduce the extraction of oil, gas and coal from the Earth, the fossil fuel multinationals continue to expand their plans for further exploration. It means that countries and companies continue to approve and fund new fossil fuel projects.

"While the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Agreement in Parish (COP21) agreed on a limit of 1.5 degree Celsius, it does not mention fossil fuels as the main driver of the rise in global climate temperatures. Therefore, the need for a binding commitment to end the expansion of new coal, oil and gas projects - and to accelerate a global transition away from fossil fuels, ie a global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty - is urgent."

"Currently, a bloc of 17 countries, consisting mainly of island nations which are under threat of rising sea levels due to climate change, are leading the campaign for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. These small island nations who, in a dark irony, are the least cause of global warming, need our support[3]."

Bishop Hayes continued, "Such a global treaty is necessary to ensure that fossil fuels remain in the ground to prevent further increases in our global temperature. Also, the treaty can lead to a greater focus on the expansion of renewal energy sources in which no worker, community or country is left behind. Global treaties have been successful in limiting the use of nuclear weapons and landmines.

"At the recent successful Laudato Si' Movement (LSM) 'Raising Hope' conference in Rome, Pope Leo XIV concluded his address[4] with the question: "God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that He created, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters. What will be our answer?

On behalf of the Irish Bishops, Bishop Hayes, concluded, "In this context, we support the joint call by Trócaire, and the Laudato Si' Working Group, on the Government of Ireland to extend its backing to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty campaign that will be advocated for during the forthcoming COP30 (30th UN Climate Change Agreement) negotiations that will take place from 6 - 21 November in Belém, Brazil."

Established in 1973, Trócaire is the overseas development agency of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. The Laudato Si' Working Group is affiliated to the Irish Catholic Bishops' Council for Evangelisation, Catechetics and Pastoral Renewal and the Council for Migrants, Refugees and Justice & Peace. Bishop Martin Hayes of Kilmore is the bishops' representative on the board of the LSWG.

This statement was approved at the Autumn General Meeting of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, which concluded on 22 October 2025. The full statement from the meeting, highlighting issues discussed by the bishops, can be accessed here.