Open Letters of JCAM & Xavier Network to Boris Johnson and AU-EU Leaders.

The preoccupation with Corona and the postponement of the COP 26 meeting at Glasgow raises concern that efforts to combat Climate Change are postponed as well. 

Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar and Fr. Franck Janin, President of the Xavier Network sent a letter to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and a second one to the President of the African Union, Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of the Council of the European Union, Angela Merkel and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

In their letters they want to emphasize:

1. Covid 19 is a serious problem, but Climate Change also continues. When billions of USD and Euro are released to fight Corona, they need to be spent in a way that adaptation, mitigation and resilience in view of climate change is part of the package. We need a social and ecological transformation to tackle the multiple crises of our time.
   
   
2. Africa suffers more (most?) from COVID 19 since its already existing problems of debt and poverty have been exacerbated while nothing is left to tackle the increasingly felt consequences of climate change and other plagues arising from the overuse and pollution of natural resources.
   
   
3. Europe historically and presently belongs to the largest polluters and it has therefore to honour its commitments given at the Paris Agreement (contributing to the 100 bn annually) and in Rio 1992 (Principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibility). This can be done directly via the transfer/investment of money and technology, or indirectly by assisting Africa in improving in Domestic Resource Mobilizationand fighting Illicit Financial Flows.
   
   
4. Time is running out, tipping points are fast approaching. Hence NDCs need to be formulated not by looking backwards to 1990 figures, but ahead to the global CO₂-budget remaining before the 1.5/2 degree threshold is irrevocably crossed.
   
   
5. Here, synergy between Europe and Africa can be exploited. For example: Helping Africa leapfrogging fossil industry is more effective to combat climate change than “cheating” by exporting dirty industry to poor countries, thus polishing own statistics by merely shifting the problem.
   
   
6. Therefore: Given problems in the global, UN sponsored COP process, the Jesuits argue for speeding up an Enhanced AU-EU cooperation.

Download the letter to Boris Johnson

Download the letter to Cyril Ramaphosa, Angela Merkel and Ursula von der Leyen.

Find the Detailed paper backing up our argument