Where has it all gone wrong?

International expert analysis has found that Ireland is the worst country in Europe for tackling climate change. Catherine Devitt, Environmental Justice Officer at the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, spoke with Pat Coyle of Irish Jesuit Communications about the details of the report and identified what is needed for radical change.

She refers to climate change as a justice issue, pointing out its negative impact on the most vulnerable populations and on future generations. She acknowledges that there was some positive environmental support among the general population for 2018, but she calls for greater political leadership to implement actions at a policy level.

“A whole society approach needs to be taken,” says Catherine Devitt. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report declared that Ireland and the international community has just over a decade to undergo radical, far reaching change. According to the Environmental Justice Officer, this includes how people grow their food, where they get their food from, how they get to work and how they work. She adds: “I think that’s why that political vision needs to be there, to really bring us along”.

Speaking with Pat Coyle, Catherine reflects on the busyness of Christmas and ponders “whether or not the amount we consume is necessary”. She expresses the hope that people could find goodness within themselves to respect the planet and to respect each other on the planet from the perspective of a global family.