COP30 (10–21 November 2025) is a critical moment for governments to strengthen commitments to limit global warming and support vulnerable communities affected by climate change.
Jesuit Missions, the international development agency of the Jesuits in Britain, is joining global Jesuit networks in urging delegates to act with courage and justice. A global campaign is being coordinated by the Jesuit Curia's Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) in Rome, with Jesuit Missions playing a key role.
The campaign asks world leaders to honour existing climate commitments, cancel climate-related debt for the world’s poorest nations, fully implement the Loss and Damage Fund, support a just and equitable transition to clean energy, and promote food sovereignty through sustainable agriculture.
One of Jesuit Missions' partners in the Global South, Centre Arrupe Madagascar, has witnessed the human cost of inaction. “Madagascar is among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, facing cyclones, droughts and rising temperatures that threaten food security and livelihoods,” says Efa Ravelonantoandro, Programme Manager for Environment and Sustainable Development.
Day 1 of COP30 highlighted the urgency of climate action, with leaders emphasising the need for adequate finance, multilateral cooperation, and respect for Indigenous land rights as central to protecting ecosystems and tackling climate change.
For those wishing to accompany the conference in prayer, Pray As You Go has released two short reflections: Enkindling Love, an imaginative exercise helping participants find God’s presence in the natural world, and Praying for the Wisdom of Decision Makers, a guided reflection inviting prayer for those making vital decisions about the planet’s future. Both are available via the Pray As You Go app and website.
EcoJesuit, the global Jesuit ecology network, also offers a variety of resources and materials. These include the Faith & Ecology Podcast series — featuring, for example, an episode on 22 October with Dr Séverine Deneulin from the Laudato Si Research Institute (LSRI) — as well as daily reflections, guides, and other materials to help Catholics engage with COP30.
Jesuit engagement also extends to concrete financial action. In a recent interview, Br Stephen Power SJ, who leads ethical investments for the Jesuits in Britain, emphasised that “all our investable world needs to change … No company is lily white in that sense, so there’s always something to work on.”
In recent years, since the publication of Laudato Si', we have increased ethical investment activity around climate change, pressing major companies for transparency and aligning investment strategy with Catholic Social Teaching, showing that climate justice is not only a matter of policy or prayer, but of practical financial decisions as well.
We invite everyone to respond to the climate crisis in an Ignatian spirit — combining contemplation with concrete action. Care for creation, as the Jesuit Missions campaign reminds us, is inseparable from care for our neighbour.
Explore and engage (useful links):
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
