Barcelona climate talks day 2: Caritas press conference

By Christine Campeau, Caritas Internationalis Climate Change analyst

Martin Lago Azqueta from Caritas Spain spoke to a crowd of journalists today at a press conference organized by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

The conference was attended by journalists from Clarin, ATB Bolivia, Segunda, Bustos Diario Financiero, El Tiempo Colombia, La Republica Colombia, RPP Peru, El Pais, El Espectador, and Ultimas Noticias.

Mr. Lago focused on the impact of climate change in Latin America. He described how poor communities in Brazil, Central America and the Caribbean area have been particularly affected by climate change.

“We have identified a strong link between climate vulnerability and poverty. For this reason, Caritas Spain works to reduce poverty as part of our response to climate change,” said Mr. Lago.

He explained a few examples of climate related projects run by Caritas Spain and focused on the need for ‘additionalities’ in the adaptation funds being discussed this week in Barcelona.

“Funding for climate actions must not come from the current Official Development Aid commitments. They must be a new and separate source of financing. We must keep the poor from paying the reparations of our own errors in the past”, he said.

Mr. Lago urged the attending journalists to do their part to safeguard the integrity of creation for future generations by reducing in their own climate footprint “in Caritas, climate change is not only a environmental problem but an ethical one. We must shift our human behaviours in order to address it”.

Fundamental changes in lifestyle coupled with the international agreements to support them are instrumental in combating this global injustice, he said.