Pope Francis announced on Friday that political leaders must give concrete hope to future generations that they are taking the radical steps needed to tackle climate change when they meet at COP26, according to Reuters.
The United Nation‘s COP26 summit will run from October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow, Scotland and Pope Francis called for a „renewed sense of shared responsibility for our world” to spur action.
„It is essential that each of us be committed to this urgent change of direction. The political decision-makers who will meet at COP26 in Glasgow are urgently summoned to provide effective responses to the present ecological crisis and in this way to offer concrete hope to future generations,” the pontiff said on BBC Radio.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Wednesday that the summit is unbelievably important, but the outcome is in the balance as talks will be difficult.
„These crises present us with the need to take decisions, radical decisions that are not always easy. At the same time, moments of difficulty like these also present opportunities, opportunities that we must not waste,” stated the pontiff.
The Vatican is sending a delegation to the summit, but the 84-year-old pope will not be going following surgery earlier this year.
Pope Francis warned against the danger of isolationism and protectionism in dealing with the climate crisis.
„This last approach alone can guide us towards a brighter horizon,” he added.