Ecological transition: Caritas proposes the leading role of traditional peoples
Catholic Church organization advocates for democratic climate justice.
By Fabíola Sinimbú, reporter for Agência Brasil - Less than three months before the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém (PA), Cáritas Brasileira released this Monday (11) a document that brings together proposals for an ecological transition guided by climate justice and the protagonism of traditional communities.
Titled "Caritas Brazil's Position Paper for COP30: Towards a Just, Inclusive, Popular and Democratic Transition," the text systematizes initiatives to address the main challenges related to the climate crisis, in defense of life and the construction of sustainable alternatives.
According to the executive director of Cáritas Brasileira, the document reflects the work of strengthening and promoting initiatives for a fair ecological transition in Brazil, which is already being developed by the humanitarian organization.
"Cáritas Brasileira believes that, to build a society of good living, we need to have a strong sustainable relationship with the environment and all living beings," it reinforces.
The document brings together proposals in seven thematic areas:
- financing;
- losses and damages;
- climate refuge for those affected by the crisis;
- social technology initiatives;
- agroecology and food security;
- mitigation and human and environmental rights;
- and energy transition.
International solutions are included, such as the recognition of the historical ecological debt of countries in the Global North and more developed countries to the Global South, and national solutions, such as greater action by the Brazilian government to guarantee viable climate finance strategies with direct access to resources for local communities and organizations.
It is also proposed to integrate emissions mitigation actions, presented in the form of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), into the human rights and environmental agendas.
Another suggestion is to recognize agroecology as a strategy to ensure food sustainability and to institute consultations with traditional communities on initiatives that affect their territories.
According to Caritas Brasileira, which originated from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) and brings together 198 organizations across the country, the proposal will be presented to the various negotiation forums at COP30. The goal is to ensure that the demands resulting from the network's listening and experiences across the country reach decision-makers.
"These demands are urgent because they concern the real needs of indigenous peoples, traditional communities, rural, urban, and peripheral communities, who are ultimately the most affected by the climate emergency and those who contribute the least to it," highlights Lucas D'Avila, national advisor for Cáritas Brasileira.
