Caritas launching 2019 Oceania environment report

Monday, September 30th, 2019

This week, Caritas Director Julianne Hickey will launch their 2019 report: State of the Environment for Oceania: Seeds of Hope.

On Thursday, 3 October at 7 pm: there will be the launch of the report at St Mary’s Catholic Church, Papakura, followed by Liturgy for the eve of St Francis Day.

The next day, Friday, 4 October at 12:30 pm there will be a presentation of the report in the Caritas Office, 22 – 30 Hill St, Wellington.

“Over the last 5 weeks, Catholics have joined many others in praying, walking and acting for extreme climate action in the face of the ongoing climate emergency,” said Hickey.

“Now is the time for world leaders and other key decision-makers to take action to dramatically cut carbon emissions to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.”

While the term ‘climate emergency’ has become mainstream this year, many in the Pacific have been living a climate emergency for decades.

They have been calling for action ever since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was agreed in 1992.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has published the Caritas State of the Environment for Oceania Report since 2014, on behalf of Caritas Oceania and the peoples of Oceania.

It tracks how five key issues are impacting people in the region:

coastal erosion/sea-level rise
food and water
extreme weather
offshore mining and drilling; and climate finance

Contributions have come from Caritas agencies in Tonga, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Australia, and Caritas partners and associates from many other Pacific countries.

Click here to read stories about the impact climate change is having in the Pacific.

Sharing the final week in this Season of Creation, Caritas recognises the Global Week of Action on migration.

This is a timely reminder that environmental degradation is one of a variety of reasons forcing many to leave their home.

Caritas’ Share the Journey’campaign encourages a culture of encounter between migrants and refugees and established communities.

Supplied
Amanda Gregan
Communications and Fundraising Coordinator
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand