We should sustain late Pope Francis call for climate action

What you need to know:

High-level political will for climate change drives a robust climate action.”

After a week of mourning and Masses, Pope Francis was buried yesterday. The 88-year-old pontiff died of a stroke and heart failure on Easter Monday, according to the Catholic Church. Tens of thousands of mourners from across the world queued throughout the week to pay final respects to Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica. World leaders descended on the Vatican on Saturday for Pope Francis’ final send-off, including an official delegation from Uganda led by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. But as millions of mourners paid their tribute, my attention was drawn to the messages recognising Pope Francis’s remarkable contributions from spiritual guidance, humility, philanthropy, combating religious extremism, to, especially, his stewardship towards nature and environmental protection. While United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order exiting the Paris Agreement immediately after being re-elected, for Pope Francis, it was different; he wholeheartedly committed to climate action. In 2015, he authored the Laudato Si letter, a call for humanity to care for our common home – Earth. In the letter, he called for climate action, environmental protection, restoration, and conservation.

In the letter, he blamed human selfishness for global warming and urged the rich to change their lifestyles to avert the destruction of the ecosystem. Then UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon welcomed the document, saying climate change was a “moral issue requiring respectful dialogue with all parts of society”. Pope Francis’s high-level political will reignited the Catholic Church’s commitment and mobilised larger followings towards climate action. High-level political will for climate change and environmental protection drives a robust climate action, bolstering accelerated attainment of Sustainable Development Goals 13, 14, and 15. Throughout his speeches, Pope Francis held powerful nations accountable for failing to reduce global emissions. His papal messages on the environment and love for nature bolstered climate democracy by inspiring many young climate activists. For example, the Laudato Si’ movement is now a successful global crusade in more than 150 countries.

In Uganda, the Laudato Si environmental club at St Mary’s Vocational School, Kyamuhunga, in western Uganda, is making significant contributions in biodiversity conservation, afforestation and sustainable wetland use, and as a result, the school won the Green School’s project innovation category. In modern civilisation, religious leaders play a key role in addressing social, political, economic, and environmental concerns in society. Religious leaders command a lot of respect and audience in society, making an integral part in assisting with strategic frameworks for environmental protection, restoration and conservation. Pope Francis used his power to inspire other world leaders and young climate activists to care for nature and the environment. As the world awaits the successor of Pope Francis, I appeal to the conscious of President Trump, among other world leaders, to emulate the late Pope Francis in being environmental stewards.