Caritas Philippines, the development and advocacy arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), continues its engagement in international climate negotiations through the participation of Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, vice president of Caritas Philippines and bishop of the Diocese of San Carlos, who serves as the CBCP’s bishop-champion for integral ecology, at the upcoming COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11-22, 2024.
The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a crucial global climate summit where world leaders, civil society organizations, and climate experts convene to advance international climate action and strengthen commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Bishop Alminaza’s participation as part of the Philippine Church’s delegation reinforces its steadfast commitment to climate action and ecological justice. His presence ensures that the experiences and perspectives of climate-vulnerable Filipino communities are brought to the forefront of global climate discussions.
“Our participation in COP29 represents more than just attendance at an international conference,” says Bishop Alminaza. “It is a crucial opportunity to advocate for our communities who bear the brunt of climate change impacts while having contributed the least to this crisis.”
Caritas Philippines’ advocacy at COP29 will focus on three key campaigns:
- Promoting a just energy transition that considers the needs of vulnerable communities
- Calling for debt cancellation to enable developing nations to better respond to climate challenges
- Supporting the fossil fuel non-proliferation initiative to address the root causes of the climate crisis
As a representative of one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, Bishop Alminaza will work to ensure that climate accountability remains at the center of negotiations. The organization’s participation underscores the urgency of implementing concrete actions to address the escalating climate crisis and its disproportionate impact on developing nations.