By Laudato Voices | COP30 – Climate Change and Peace interlinked | November 07, 2025
Borrowing from our indigenous wisdom and the Church’s moral stance, it is clear that there is no climate solution without peace. This truth was deeply reflected upon during our recent Season of Creation Interfaith Conference, which emphasized the interdependence of creation care and peacemaking. Similarly, our Laudato Si’ Festival this year intentionally embraced the theme “Sowing Seeds of Peace and Hope for Creation.”
Now, as the world turns its eyes to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the message of the Church resounds with clarity and conviction:
“If you want to cultivate peace, care for creation.”
A Call for Ecological Conversion
According to Vatican News, 7 Nov 2025 in a message delivered by Cardinal Pietro Parolin at the UN Climate Conference, Pope Leo XIV urged world leaders to make courageous and concrete commitments for the care of creation. The Pope reminded the delegates that peace and environmental stewardship are inseparably linked, calling for an “ecological conversion” rooted in responsibility, justice, and solidarity.
Cardinal Parolin while delivering the Popes Message emphasized that “time is running out to act on climate.” He reiterated the Pope’s warning that our planet’s peace is gravely threatened, not only by wars and armed conflicts but also by “a lack of due respect for creation, the plundering of natural resources, and the decline in the quality of life caused by climate change.”
Peace and Creation: Intertwined Destinies
The Pope’s message highlights that these global challenges endanger all lives and demand international cooperation grounded in the sacredness of life, human dignity, and the common good.
“In the midst of a world that is in flames — as a result of both global warming and armed conflicts — this Conference should become a sign of hope,” he said.
In this powerful statement, the Pope invites humanity to see peace not just as the absence of war, but as the fruit of harmony with creation.
A Moral Responsibility
Echoing the words of Saint John Paul II, Pope Leo affirmed that the ecological crisis is a moral issue requiring renewed solidarity among nations. He urged that States must share responsibility for promoting a natural and social environment that is both peaceful and healthy.
He further reminded delegates that the poorest and most vulnerable are the first to suffer from the devastating effects of climate change, deforestation, and pollution. Caring for creation, therefore, becomes not merely an environmental act but an expression of humanity and solidarity.
“We must turn words and reflections into choices and actions based on responsibility, justice, and equity,” he said.
From Words to Action
Reflecting on the Paris Agreement of 2015, the Pope acknowledged that the path to achieving its goals remains long and complex. He called on nations to courageously accelerate the implementation of both the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical Laudato Si’
Marking the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Leo reminded the world that “climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all.”
“May all participants in this COP30,” he urged, “be inspired to embrace with courage this ecological conversion in thought and action, bearing in mind the human face of the climate crisis.”
Living the Message: Peace Begins with Us
We believe Action, however, must begin at the personal level through daily, intentional steps that nurture peace and protect creation. From praying for peace, to being ambassadors of hope in living peacefully and teaching young people the language of peace and love in our Laudato Si Clubs, to living responsibly taking steps in restoring the eco system through reforestation and agroforestry, wetland and water preservation etc every act counts.
Here in Uganda, Laudato Youth continue to walk the path of integral ecology, nurturing “stewards of the future.” Stewardship, as Pope Leo recently reminded participants at the Raising Hope Conference, is not only about managing money or resources — “God will ask us how we cared for life itself.” Read our appeal to Conference of Parties from the previous COP29
The international response to the climate crisis needs to bridge the gap between Cop summits and the experience of those who face its consequences. It must ignite hope for a climate-resilient generation.
The Laudato Youth Initiative brings a new African-engrained perspective
Its now COP30 the main message is in our Motto “United for Climate Action”. We need more synergies for unity to unite people for Climate Action Action to heal our wounded world. The time to act is now. We are we must carry the lessons from these conferences into our daily lives — to be the change we want to see. Practical steps such as reforestation, tree planting, and water conservation in our communities embody our commitment to safeguarding the ecosystem and building peace. Something that will help us to see how it looks like to live Laudato Si in our Daily Lives.
You will agree with us Pope Leo’s message to COP30 is a timely reminder that peace and creation care cannot be separated. The cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor are one. As believers and global citizens, we are called to respond with faith, courage, and action — sowing seeds of peace and hope for creation.
