As the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) begins, leaders from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) have called on world leaders to take decisive action against climate change.

Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, and Sean Callahan, president and CEO of CRS, issued a joint statement highlighting the urgency of addressing environmental challenges. They noted that COP30 coincides with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope and referenced Pope Leo XIV’s appeal for participants to “listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, families, indigenous peoples, involuntary migrants and believers throughout the world.” The statement described this year as “a sacred opportunity to restore relationships and renew creation at a time when the gift of life is under grave threat.”

The church leaders emphasized that climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation are harming communities already facing poverty and exclusion. They stated: “Farming and fishing families confront threats to their livelihoods; Indigenous Peoples face destruction of their ancestral lands; children’s health, safety, and futures are at risk. Failing to steward God’s creation ignores our responsibility as one human family.”

Referencing Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’, they reminded policymakers that “the climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all,” stressing that intergenerational solidarity is essential. The group urged world leaders at COP30 to pursue ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Their recommendations included investment in adaptation measures for resilience and economic opportunities; strong mitigation efforts to reduce emissions; dedicated financing for loss and damage with direct access for vulnerable communities; ensuring a just transition centered on workers and communities; timely financing for climate solutions such as debt relief while maintaining human dignity.

The statement concluded: “We offer our prayers of support and solidarity and pledge to work collaboratively to safeguard the future of our common home.”