Latin for ‘Praised Be’, Laudato Si is the name of Pope Francis’ 2015 letter on caring for our common home, planet earth and all people. The Conference was a profoundly moving experience. Exactly ten years earlier, I had been at the UN General Assembly in New York, listening to Pope Francis speak with hope and urgency about Laudato Si’ and the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals.
But this was different. We began with a clarion call from the Pontiff to listen to the cry of the Earth. There were prayers, songs, and powerful discussions, but no talk of national climate plans or NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions). Pope Leo XIV reminded us that “there is no room for indifference or resignation.” His words still challenge me:
“God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world He created, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters. What will be our answer?”
That question is at the heart of the new global initiative, the People’s Determined Contributions (PDC) campaign, inspired by Laudato Si’ and built on a simple idea: when governments delay, people act.
What Are PDCs?
PDCs are personal or community commitments that complement governments’ climate pledges (NDCs). They represent the people’s moral response to the climate crisis, an uprising of hope and action born out of faith, love, and shared responsibility.
At the conference, I met remarkable people, from dioceses, media, community mapping initiatives, and grassroots movements, all dedicating their lives to care for our common home. I left feeling renewed and hopeful, held by the words of Pope Francis:
“Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.”
When Reality Bites
The weeks that followed put that hope to the test. Typhoons Matmo and Fengshen battered the Philippines. Global shipping levies on emissions were stalled under pressure from powerful interests. Australia’s rainforests, once vital carbon sinks, have become carbon sources due to rising temperatures and prolonged drought.
Then Hurricane Melissa, the third-most intense hurricane on record, hit. The UN Secretary-General issued an urgent warning that we are on course to overshoot the 1.5°C target.
And Oxfam’s latest report revealed that the wealthiest 0.1% emit more carbon in a single day than the poorest half of humanity do in an entire year.Meanwhile, the United States continues to fund and invest in climate destruction at 183 times the global average, sacrificing our planet’s safe climate space for profit.
Faith and Reflection
In today’s secular world, many of us who work in policy and advocacy shy away from speaking about faith. But Laudato Si’ reminds us that faith is not about dogma; it is about moral consciousness, courage, and compassion. It calls us to act.
At the Raising Hope conference, I heard phrases that still resonate deeply:
- “Hope is a word with sleeves rolled up.”
- “Energy from hell to energy from heaven.”
- “Close the taps, rather than mopping the floor.”
- “Active dreaming to action.”
These are not slogans; they are invitations to live differently.
Looking Ahead to Belém
I am heading to Belem with 350.org and we are going with a clear mission, COP30 needs to deliver a clear, actionable pathway to phase out oil, gas, and coal not vague promises. Leaders must commit to tripling affordable and accessible renewable energy for everyone, and keep 1.5°C alive. Anything less is a betrayal of those already facing the climate crisis.
And whilst the US isn’t attending the talks, let’s be honest, the presence of laggards only distracts from the hard work happening here in Belém, where communities, campaigners, and mayors are focused on real climate solutions that protect people and the planet.
After three years of climate talks held in countries where protest was banned, COP30 marks the return of people power. In Belém, we’ll see a vibrant, colourful civil society demanding that world leaders commit to real climate action and justice, not just words.
As I pack my bags for the UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, COP30, I find myself asking:
- What do I want from this meeting?
- What can I do with the power and privilege I have been humbly given?
- What can we, as civil society, do to truly “change course,” as the UN Secretary-General implores?
The answers don’t lie only in strategies and policy documents. They lie within us, in our values, our courage, and our collective faith.
Even when the path grows dark and uphill, no one can take away our hope, nor our freedom to sing as we go.
Savio Carvalho
Managing Director, Campaigns and Networks, 350.org