November 8 marks the anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan which hit the Philippines in 2013. Nearly 8,000 people died, 30,000 lost their homes, and many people today are still living in tents or trying to rebuild their lives.
A report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that more severe storms and even greater harm to developing nations like the Philippines are expected if countries like the U.S. do not curb their own fossil fuel use altogether by 2050.
The U.S. can also act by paying its fair share of the climate debt. The U.S. is the largest historical emitter of carbon pollution. We have a special role in helping developing nations mitigate and adapt to the greatest impacts of climate change. Ask U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to contribute to the Green Climate Fund.
The Green Climate Fund, if financed, will be a transformational fund to support women, small farmers, and development pathways that promote climate resiliency. This fund could lift communities out of poverty while also protecting all God’s creation. The fund hopes to mobilize an initial $15 billion from all of the developed nations. This is just a little more than the total damage to the Filipino economy from Typhoon Haiyan.
On November 20, countries will gather in Bonn, Germany to announce their pledges to the GCF. Already, a few nations have pledged a combined $2.8 billion. More pledges are on their way, including from some developing nations. We want the U.S. to show leadership with our dollars. Ask Secretary Kerry for a robust GCF pledge.
The Obama administration will be attending the initial pledging session on November 19-20 in Germany leading up to the next stage of climate talks in Peru. This will be a critical moment to determine if the Green Climate Fund will succeed. Tell the Obama administration to pledge our fair share.
The Pope is also speaking up on climate change. Pope Francis said that climate change is one of the greatest sins of our time. He recognizes that we are all one human family and that we must protect the Earth for future generations. States must act above all from a moral point of view and cannot continue to repeat mistakes of the past and to damage God’s Earth. The Pope said this is an issue of equity and justice and countries must pay their fair share of climate debt. Stand with God’s creation and communities to ensure robust funding for climate resilience.