Scottish Catholic Observer

Many Catholic organisations have criticised the US President’s decision and Mr Dutton, head of the Scottish Catholic aid agency, said he was extremely disappointed to ‘see President Trump take the US—the second largest polluting nation in the world—out of the Paris Agreement.’

“The science of climate change is well established,” he said. “Billions of people will suffer unless urgent action is taken globally to tackle climate change. Many vulnerable communities in the world’s poorest countries are already being devastated.”

“We all have a shared responsibility to care for our planet and support our poorest brothers and sisters. It’s now more important than ever that the UK, Scotland and other nations around the world continue to take the action that’s needed to deal with this global problem.”

Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said they had hoped the US decision to pull out of the accord would not happen.

“It’s a global public good that needs to be taken care of,” he said, speaking at a media briefing before he addressed an audience on Wednesday evening at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

The Paris Agreement was an international climate accord reached in 2015 after representatives of more than 150 countries met for COP 21, or the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Countries pledged on various levels to help reduce global carbon emissions and aim to keep global temperatures from rising more than two degrees Celsius, as compared to average temperatures from the pre-industrial age, by the end of the 21st century.

Pope Francis had written his ecology encyclical Laudato Si’ in advance of the climate agreement, noted Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, chair of the US bishops’ International Justice and Peace Committee.

“It was timed in order to urge the nations of the world to work together in Paris for an agreement that protects our people and our planet,” he said. “Our conference of bishops has vigorously promoted the teaching of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, on care for our common home.”

When the agreement was reached in 2015, Pope Francis hailed it as ‘historic.’

—This story ran in full in the June 9 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.