Pope Francis has announced his plan to travel to Dubai to participate in the COP28 climate change conference from December 1st to 3rd. This announcement came during a recent interview with the Italian television network, RAI. The Pope’s commitment to environmental concerns has been evident throughout his papacy, with particular emphasis on the impacts of environmental damage on the impoverished.
While details of the Pope’s program during his visit to the conference remain undisclosed, it is anticipated that he may address the delegates. His dedication to raising awareness about the environment’s critical state since his papacy’s inception in 2013 underscores this expectation.
This trip will take place just a couple of weeks shy of his 87th birthday. Despite recent health challenges, including two abdominal surgeries and issues with his knee, the Pope exhibited an upbeat demeanor during the interview. Famously using a wheelchair for long distances during public appearances, Pope Francis humorously commented on his health saying, “Still alive, you know.”
The COP28 international climate conference in Dubai will run from November 30th to December 12th. Since becoming Pope in 2013, Francis has consistently emphasized the importance of caring for the environment, notably writing an influential encyclical about the planet’s dwindling natural resources in 2015.
Addressing the ongoing global efforts to combat climate change, last month, the Pope expressed his disappointment in the slow progress made by nations. He urged world leaders to take decisive action against the advancing threats of climate change. When questioned about these challenges during the interview, Pope Francis responded, “Courage is needed.”
The Pope’s concern about the dire state of the environment was further highlighted when he remarked on the need for “a little responsibility,” and criticized the global approach to environmental care, describing it as “ugly.”
The COP meetings, which began in 1995 in Berlin, are critical international gatherings that focus on climate change impacts and the actions pledged by governments to counteract them.