Churches of the Global South Call for Climate Justice: resisting false solutions and standing for hope  – CIDSE

Churches of the Global South Call for Climate Justice: resisting false solutions and standing for hope 


On 1 July 2025, bishops from the episcopal conferences and councils of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean released a powerful joint appeal ahead of COP30, calling on governments and societies worldwide to respond urgently and justly to the climate crisis. Rooted in a shared commitment to justice, peace, and care for our common home, the appeal resonates deeply with CIDSE’s mission and its “Thriving in our Common Home” strategy. 

CIDSE welcomes and amplifies this prophetic call from the Global South, which offers a clear moral and spiritual vision for a world that prioritises the dignity of people and the integrity of creation. As an international family of Catholic social justice organisations, CIDSE is dedicated to fostering systemic change, advocating for climate justice, and promoting just and sustainable alternatives grounded in the values of solidarity, equity, and sufficiency. 

The bishops’ message builds upon the teachings of Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, as well as the vision of Pope Leo XIV, who calls for justice, peace, and ecological conversion. They affirm the urgency of structural transformation in response to climate change, which already disproportionately affects vulnerable communities, particularly in the Global South. 

The appeal condemns the extractivist and technocratic models of development that continue to exploit natural resources and marginalise people. In line with CIDSE’s systemic change approach, the bishops reject market-based “false solutions” such as carbon offsetting and the financialisation of nature and common goods, which serve to shift responsibility away from those most responsible for emissions and place further burdens on affected communities. 

Instead, they call for climate solutions that uphold human dignity, restore ecosystems, and promote a truly just transition. These include the immediate phasing out of fossil fuels, the protection of indigenous territories, the promotion of agroecology, and the development of local, people-centered strategies for resilience and adaptation. 

“This call from the Church of the Global South is a cry we cannot continue to ignore, one that urges us to stand in solidarity with communities around the world, women and girls, Indigenous voices, and the marginalised. This call must give us courage in the Global North, to recognise our social and ecological debt to the planet and to people around the world and make the radical changes we need to see to protect our common home”. Josianne Gauthier, CIDSE Secretary General 

COP30 represents a pivotal moment to change direction and take bold action in response to the climate emergency. This call to action by church leaders requires technical, scientific and political engagement, and also represents a profound moral imperative. 

As a family of faith-based organisations, CIDSE stands alongside the Churches of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean in calling for bold and transformative action. This means shifting away from economic systems that fuel inequality and ecological destruction and towards pathways that allow all people and the planet to thrive. 

“We warmly welcome this powerful call from the Global South. It is essential that the Church supports those affected by the climate crisis — especially the poorest and most marginalised — and calls for better policies and an economic system that tackles the root causes of injustice.” Bernd Nilles, CIDSE president 

We finally echo the bishops’ closing words: “What we need at this moment is love and unity to build a new world where peace reigns.” It is a vision we share—and one we must now bring to life together. 

Watch the replay of the Press Conference presenting the document “Un llamado por la justicia climática y la casa común: conversión ecológica, transformación y resistencia a las falsas soluciones” with the link above.

See the Press Conference also in Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese.


On 1st July, the Bishops from the episcopal conferences and councils of Africa, Asia, Latin America also presented the document to the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.

Photo credit: Dicastery for Communications.



CIDSE contact: Giorgio Gotra, Communication and Operations manager (gotra(at)cidse.org)

Cover photo: Amazon bay, South America. Credit: Marta Isabel González Álvarez / CIDSE

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