Leaders of the Catholic Church from Latin America and the Caribbean met in Brasilia, Brazil, on February 17 and 18, where they discussed strategies for the next United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), which will be held in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025.

The meeting, which had as its theme Pilgrims of hope towards COP30, featured the participation of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) and local articulation Church towards COP 30, the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) and Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean.

During the meeting, participants reviewed the recent work of the Church on climate change, including contributions to the Pan-Amazonian Social Forum (FOSPA), COP28 and COP16. In addition, the Church's priorities for COP30 were discussed and promotion and communication strategies were defined to strengthen the Church's impact in the fight against the serious socio-environmental crisis.

The main objective of the meeting was to unify ecclesiastical initiatives and promote active participation in the political and civil society spheres, at the local, regional and international level, following the Latin American Laudate Deum Route, within the framework of the year jubilee.

Synodal path and in tune with reality

Cardinal Jaime Spengler, archbishop of Porto Alegre and president of Celam and the CNBB, stressed thatit is about building a path in tune in order to help our people and communities to understand more and better the implications of this conference in the global context.

What is at stake? The future of the planet and, consequently, humanity is at stake. And, all of us, Christian Christians, have a unique task: to promote, in a convenient way, this awareness that is urgent and necessary. God saw that everything was very good at the end of the work of creation and it is this goodness that we need to collaborate so that everyone can understand and, therefore, become responsible.

One of the participants of the meeting and Advocacy Coordinator of Cáritas LAC, Damiana Lanusse, affirms that it is necessary to have a unified message, coordinated participation. “We frame our participation in the jubilee year and relate the experience of our territories and the cries of the vulnerable people and the communities that we accompany with the political agenda and the decisions that countries must make to prioritize these needs of the communities most affected by climate change,” he stated.

Damiana highlights that the opportunities that are being created in this space are fundamentally in the articulation that is wanted to be achieved with this effort as in Latin America and the Caribbean.

As a region, we want to promote this joint work, this co-responsible work en route to the COP30 that awaits us within a process, within a path, within a route that for Latin America is Laudate Deum. We want and seek, by being present, to be bridges and create those alliances and make visible the efforts that we are achieving as a region here in Latin America.

Celam participates in the process through its Center for Pastoral Action Programs and Networks (Ceprap). César Piscoya, who is a member of the Center, highlights that they are creating opportunities from all the efforts that the networks, platforms and commissions want in favor of a Church that is concerned and seeks for us to be increasingly aware and sensitive to this climate crisis. "For us, the participation of various expressions of the Church has been very interesting, including Caritas, the Laudato Si Movement and several others. This is very important because it reminds us that everything is interlinked and that if we want to achieve a goal we need to unite our forces," he noted.

COP30, which takes place in the Amazon territory, is expected to promote concrete actions to protect this vital ecosystem and address the challenges of climate change.