Pope has important message on climate change for New Zealand says Presbyterian Church
The Presbyterian Church has enthusiastically welcomed Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment which addresses one
of the great moral challenges of our time, climate change.
“Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the
distribution of goods,” the papal statement says. “It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our
day.”
The Right Rev Andrew Norton, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, says Pope Francis has
highlighted issues of climate change in the context of exploitation of the poor and the abuse of our environment.
“Many of the world’s faiths recognise the significant challenge of climate change and the urgency for action; this is
why church leaders are speaking out. Nationally and internationally our faiths are uniquely positioned to encourage all
people to live in a sustainable way, to encourage our governments to commit to binding climate change agreements, and to
be the voice for those without a voice.”
Andrew says it is the world’s poorer peoples who are expected to suffer most from global warming. “We can see the
effects in Africa of rising temperatures and drought and here in the Pacific of rising sea levels and devastating
storms.”
The papal encyclical, published on 18 June, warns of “serious consequences for all of us” if humanity fails to act on
climate change. It calls for renewable fuel subsidies and energy efficiency, and an end to overconsumption, loss of
biodiversity and pollution.
Andrew says the papal encyclical is in line with decisions and statements made by the Presbyterian Church, including its
recent submission to the NZ Government on the consultation for setting New Zealand’s post-2020 climate change target.
“The Presbyterian Church has called on the New Zealand Government to commit to a low carbon future by cutting emissions
to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2025. It’s a target which will challenge both us and other nations to pay the price
necessary for both the survival of future generations and of the most vulnerable nations already being drastically
affected by climate change.”
Andrew says that in choosing the 40 per cent figure, the Presbyterian Church was guided by reports from the UN’s
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
“But reducing carbon emissions is not enough. This issue is too big to be left to politicians and scientists; it is for
all of us. We must ask ourselves how our culture of consumption is plundering the land and abusing the world's poor.
“Pope Francis is holding up a mirror that we may all take a good look at ourselves.”
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