The participation, for the first time, of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) in the twenty-eighth United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop28), held in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023, validated the active contribution of women’s congregations in the dynamics of defending the ecosystem.

On the occasion of the international environmental summit, the significant role of religious communities in the fight against the climate crisis was also confirmed by the establishment of the first “Faith Pavilion”, destined to host conferences and debates not only between the representatives of the various religions, but also between them and the scientific community, political leaders and other civil society actors in the search for and sharing of strategies that can contribute to the achievement of the main objectives set by Cop28, that is to say: supporting developing countries in responding to the effects of global warming; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; establishing a roadmap to accelerate a fair, orderly and equitable energy transition and drastically reduce the use of coal, gas and oil.

The participation and work of the International Union of Superiors General appears to be part of this action oriented towards unity, co-responsibility and a common commitment to safeguarding biodiversity. In particular, Cop28 was an opportunity to represent its environmental advocacy in the global debate on the climate emergency and to put forward solutions solutions able to: - support a holistic approach to ecological transition; - integrate care for the environment with care for people, declining an anthropocentric vision that supports consumption models not inspired by sustainability criteria; - integrate the demands of the marginalised communities most vulnerable to the effects of climate change within institutional and leadership frameworks.

In order to promote an integral and inclusive approach in the realisation of the goals of eco-sustainable development, the International Union of Superiors General has, in fact, already been engaged for some time in planning and implementing environmental education projects both within its own faith communities and in the local communities in which they operate. This is in order to identify and support religiousitineraries and life practices that, inspired by the moral and ethical values founded on the doctrine of the Catholic Church, can actively contribute to the development of network actions oriented towards the affirmation of the principles of integral ecology. 

This is what emerges from the Declaration “Sisters for the Environment: Integrating Voices from the Margins” that the International Union of Superiors General presented as part of the “Sisters for Advocacy” project. The document aims, on the one hand, to illustrate some of the initiatives and good practices that the Catholic sisters have implemented and still propose to implement at the local and national levels within the framework of the campaign “Sowing Hope for the Planet” and, on the other hand, to create a platform through which to outline the principles, methods and guidelines for a systematic and permanent change that can ensure a more sustainable, just and inclusive future.

In the fulfilment of this mission geared towards caring for the common home and in line with the goals of Cop28, the International Union of Superiors General has thus renewed its commitment to timely and coordinated actions to counter the effects of the climate emergency and to projects and awareness-raising campaigns that can inspire their communities to use sustainable environmental practices, such as saving energy, using renewable energy, recycling consumables and reducing carbon emissions. Through partnerships with religious groups, governmental institutions and scientific authorities, the International Union of Superiors General also intends to support models of participatory, transparent and accountable governance of natural resources in global advocacy spaces, bringing to the fore a variety of eco-sustainable perspectives that are also able to integrate vulnerability into leadership and decision-making processes through the promotion of a culture of solidarity and encounter.

The active contribution to the ecological transition of the International Union of Superiors General denotes the value of the spiritual dimension of women in affirming and implementing an ethic of care and responsibility towards creation, and shows the benefits of their leadership in defining models of social and environmental growth that are in the interest of the common good.

Source: https://www.uisg.org/it/news/UISG-Sisters-at-COP28-to-bring-marginalized-voices-into-the-centre-of-the-global-dialogue

Caterina Gagliardi