- 22 November, 2025
Brazil, Nov 22, 2025: Speaking on the sidelines of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão renewed the Global South’s appeal for decisive climate action, stressing the moral duty of the Global North and urging the world to stop “finding distractions” and focus on what is urgently required to protect the planet.
Cardinal Ferrão—Archbishop of Goa and Daman and President of both the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India and the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC)—is attending COP30 as Churches from the Global South presented a joint document offering what they describe as a moral and spiritual roadmap for confronting the climate emergency.
In an interview with Vatican News, the Cardinal noted that the document had been “well received,” particularly for its firm insistence on upholding the 1.5°C temperature threshold and for anchoring climate action in the Church’s vision of integral ecology. He said the text “highlights the relationality between the Creator, creation, and human beings,” and emphasised that ecological conversion must engage “the heart, the mind, the soul, and socio-economic and political structures” to respond to “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor,” including Indigenous communities, migrants, and women and girls.
Global North’s Ecological Debt
At a symposium of Church leaders from the Global South, Cardinal Ferrão underlined that Asia is “on the frontline of ecological and economic injustice,” reiterating that wealthier nations bear a moral responsibility because they have contributed most to the climate crisis.
“They must pay their ecological debt,” he said. “That means leading the fossil-fuel phaseout, achieving carbon neutrality, and adhering to their climate-finance commitments.”
He added that climate finance must prioritise grants and public funds—especially for loss and damage—rather than loans, and should bolster adaptation, capacity building, and technology transfer to poorer regions.
*Warning Against “Green Capitalism”
Cardinal Ferrão also voiced caution about what he termed “activist economies and green capitalism,” noting that certain proposals enable major polluters to delay real transformation.
“We need clear timelines and targets to phase out fossil fuels,” he said. “We must halt distractions such as bridging fuels, carbon-capture technologies, and carbon trading.”
He stressed that the shift to renewables must be fair, ensuring workers and communities reliant on fossil-fuel industries receive training and social protection.
Indigenous Rights and Women’s Leadership
The shared document from the Global South advocates for safeguarding Indigenous lands and recognising Indigenous knowledge within climate-resilience strategies.
“Forests must be protected, and Indigenous tenure rights guaranteed,” Cardinal Ferrão said. He added that women—who disproportionately suffer the impacts of environmental harm—must be given platforms to voice their priorities, assured equal access to land, trained in sustainable methods, and protected through zero-tolerance policies on violence.
Unmet Climate-Finance Promises
Commenting on UN findings that climate-finance commitments remain unrealised and are often substituted with loans, the Cardinal referred to the Church’s consistent appeal for debt cancellation.
“I fully agree with the call of Pope Francis and Pope Leo to cancel the debt,” he said. “The North has grown rich by exploiting the South. It is time they repay by cancelling the debt.”
Asia’s Escalating Climate Threats
Asked about the situation in Asia, Cardinal Ferrão described a region experiencing the effects of climate change with exceptional severity.
“Asia is warming at twice the global average,” he said. “Heatwaves, typhoons, droughts, floods, cyclones, sea-level rise, and melting glaciers are becoming more intense and frequent.”
He noted that these events worsen existing socio-economic vulnerabilities, particularly among marginalised populations.
Encouragement from Pope Leo
Cardinal Ferrão also welcomed Pope Leo’s recent video message addressed to Global South cardinals and bishops participating in COP30.
“We were encouraged by the Pope’s words,” he said. “He reminded us that creation is crying out through floods, droughts, storms, and heat, and that one in three people lives in great vulnerability.”
He said the message strengthens the call for urgent, collective action.
Appeal for Dialogue After New Delhi Attack
Reflecting on the recent terrorist attack in New Delhi that killed at least 10 people and injured 32, Cardinal Ferrão stressed the need for interreligious dialogue across Asia.
“Violence often stems from social, economic, and political injustice,” he said. “Dialogue, understanding, and consensus – not violence – must guide coexistence.”
He added that for Asia, where Christians form a small minority, interreligious dialogue “is not an option; it is imperative. It is a way of life.”
Courtesy: Vatican News
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