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What do you hear Treasurers talking about when they meet? Lots of numbers and percentages, growth rates, long-term trends, sustainability, best practices… certainly all that. It happened again in Paris in the third week of November. However, this time, all those concepts were not just related to revenues and expenses, financial funds and investments. For most of the three-day meeting they referred to temperatures and CO2, sources of energy, food, modes of transportation, building conditioning… etc. Yes, the main theme, this year, was ecological transition.

Xavier de Bénazé SJ, Delegate for Ecological Transition of the EOF, guided the group in an exercise of awareness raising about the threats and challenges of climate change. Starting from Laudato Si’ he provided systematic reliable information about the alterations that are taking place and where they can take us. Through a couple of games, each one was involved in the reflection about causes and consequences of the many effects of human activity on the ecological balance of the planet and about the available ways to minimize that impact. A tool to measure the carbon footprint of communities developed by JESC and tried already in the EOF province was also explained.

We also looked at concrete examples of addressing ecological transition reported by ECE, HIB, BRI and EOF. One of the sessions focused also on ethical investments, especially on the impact they may have in promoting a more environmentally friendly use of financial resources.

Treasurers like to point, often, trying to educate others, that we must not forget that every decision as financial implications. This time, they realized a bit more that, also, any decision has climate consequences, serious consequences for every person in the planet in the present and in the future.

There was time to pray and share about the mission of Treasurer, a few promenades in Paris by night, and for a visit to Montmartre which culminated with the celebration of the Eucharist in the Crypt of St. Denis, where in 1534 Ignatius and his first Companions pronounced their vows. Finally, a word of gratitude for the hospitality of the EOF personalized in the generous service of Franck Delorme, its Treasurer.

Herminio Rico SJ
JCEP Socius/Treasurer

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