It is the time of year when news of climate change floods our media. While COP represents a critical point in the year for climate discourse, this was a year when climate change featured heavily in each of our lives – whether we used that term not. A winter and spring of non-stop rain, followed by a summer of none complemented by record temperatures and wildfires were the predictions of climate scientists just a few short years ago but is now a lived reality. We are starting to experience what a disrupted climate can look like, which is not an excuse to give up and say we have failed but a fresh impetus to take greater action.
It has not been a good year in terms of climate action in Ireland. We have witnessed sweeping rollbacks of climate commitments with carbon heavy infrastructure prioritised over sustainable options and energy hungry data centres being defended over and again by this government. We are missing all of our emission reduction targets by such margins that it should be a national embarrassment. The recently announced budget paints a very clear picture of a government which does not have climate high on its priority list.
It is times like this that making our voice heard to demand more: more action to make sustainable living a reality, more justice for those who are impacted most by climate change and more responsibility by a government which is tasked with keeping its own rules.
What can we do?
This year the COP31 (the climate Conference of Parties) is being held in Türkiye in November 2026. It is time when governments get together to discuss how to respond to this crisis, with the consensus usually being some version of ‘as little as possible’. While that may be the case, this process remains crucial to achieving international progress on the climate crisis. Pope Francis stated that this “is a matter of establishing global and effective rules that can permit ‘providing for’ this global safeguarding” (Laudate Deum no42). Pope Leo XIV emphasizes: “We must shift from collecting data to caring; and from environmental discourse to an ecological conversion that transforms both personal and communal lifestyles.” It represents a time when conversations about what we should be doing domestically and abroad become a little easier, when presenters discuss it on the radio waves, and advocates rally around this opportunity to push the government to do as much as possible. It is also a time when domestic and international ambitions merge and when advocates from all to no faiths work together to push governments, nationally and internationally, for stronger, fairer climate action.
Jesuits for Climate Action Campaign
As part of a long-term commitment, Jesuits from across the world and our partners, through the likes of Jesuit for Climate Action Campaign, are promoting and defending socio-environmental justice for the benefit of all Creation, especially for the most vulnerable communities and nations. Within the COP process, this means that we have been advocating for a just energy transition, increased climate funding, and a more sovereign and agroecological food system. The campaign is inviting people to endorse these asks and strengthen the campaign while also asking people to join in prayer over the duration of the negotiations. As an “invitation to prayer, reflection, and renewed commitment”, a prayer guide has been prepared for those wish to “listen deeply to the cry of the Earth and the cry of Creation, seek God’s wisdom, and find the courage to embrace the ecological conversion our time demands.”
These actions are a recognition, and a practical manifestation of, the assertion that “living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” (LS217)
National Climate Demonstration
With events like COP comes a complex web of collaborations and connections. JCFJ are not only part of the global Jesuit community, but also an active member of Stop Climate Chaos coalition (SCC), a network of environmental groups, development NGOs, human rights advocates, and faith-based organisations, advocating for faster, fairer climate action. SCC are leading the coordination of a national demonstration to make the government hear our demands for more climate action
The annual Global Climate Demonstration is taking place on Saturday 14th November. In Ireland, it is starting from the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin at 1pm. For those who wish to join, there is a pre-demonstration prayer service at 12.30pm outside the Garden of Remembrance.
Communal climate action, in the form of protesting together and demanding action from our representatives, is a powerful and important demonstration of ecological care and one which we can all take part.
I will be at the Garden of Remembrance on the 14th along with thousands of others. I hope to see you there.
