CMSP DECLARES CLIMATE EMERGENCY!

CMSP DECLARES CLIMATE EMERGENCY!

“The Lord took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and

keep it.” (Gen. 2:15).  “Tilling” refers to cultivating, ploughing, or working, while “keeping”

means caring, protecting, overseeing, and preserving… we are not God, we are only stewards. (Laudato Si’ 67)

The Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines- CMSP (formerly the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines- AMRSP) upholds its commitment to the care of creation and the tenets and calls of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ and its Action Plan. CMSP likewise declares its solidarity with those who commit and work for ecological integrity and joins our partner environmental groups in caring for our common home.

We are fully aware that what we are experiencing now globally are not merely the effects of Climate Change as this reality indicates that there is an actual Climate Crisis and Disaster right in our midst. Before it is too late and before the time of reckoning comes, CMSP would like to bring to the attention and concern of all the state of our common home.

CMSP hereby declares a CLIMATE EMERGENCY in response to the growing urgency of addressing the ongoing climate crisis. We acknowledge the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for a collective action to mitigate the negative impacts of Climate Change.

CMSP is committed to take immediate and significant steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the decrease of global warming. We pledge to take the following steps: 

1. We prioritize the use of renewable energy sources in all of our operations and activities in order to reduce our carbon footprint not later than 2030;
2. We embrace and promote “Sapat Lifestyle” practices in all aspects of our work, including waste reduction, energy conservation, and sustainable transportation; and,
3. We continue to advocate for policy reforms that address prevalent environmental issues, push for climate action, and support a just transition towards a low-carbon economy by supporting the Rights of Nature Bill and other Green Bills. 

We recognize that these commitments are only the beginning of our efforts to address the climate emergency, and we remain committed to continuous improvement and collaboration with other organizations and stakeholders towards a balanced and healthy ecology for us and future generations. These are also the calls of Laudato Si’ and the January 2022 CBCP Pastoral Letter entitled “A Call for Unity and Action amid a Climate Emergency and Planetary Crisis”, an urgent call for ecological conversion and the integration of our care of creation in Christian discipleship.

We likewise urge the government to make the same commitments and more. As the duty-bearer to these obligations and rights, the Philippine government has the primary responsibility, with the most resources and in the best position to protect Filipinos and our environment against the impact of climate changes.

We call on the government to declare a national state of climate emergency and get our governmental institutions to act accordingly. Mainstream a pro-environment and pro-people approach to climate change adaptation and mitigation. We urge our duty bearers to go beyond the minimum of climate talks and monitoring targets, and urgently uphold climate justice by halting profit-driven, ecologically-destructive projects, and empowering our communities the self-determination for climate change adaptation. 

There is no better time than now to recognize the interconnectedness of all creation, and thereby it is our responsibility to acknowledge our nature’s intrinsic rights to thrive, restore, and protect itself from the very system that put us in the state of climate emergency in the first place.

Declare a Climate Emergency NOW!

Pass the Rights of Nature Bill NOW!

 FOR THE CONFERENCE OF MAJOR SUPERIORS IN THE PHILIPPINES:

Sr. Cecilia A. Espenilla, OP             Fr. Elias L. Ayuban, Jr., CMF

 Co-Chairpersons                                           

March 20, 2023                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Prot. 2023-033

Solemnity of St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church