Pope Francis urges 'radical' action on climate crisis ahead of COP26.

 Extract from ABC News

Posted 11 hours ago

Pope Francis says the climate crisis and COVID-19 provides an opportunity for change.(Reuters: Guglielmo Mangiapane)

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The political leaders who meet at the upcoming COP26 climate change summit must give "concrete hope" to future generations that they are taking action to effectively tackle climate change, Pope Francis has said.

Key points:

• Pope Francis has called upon world leaders to provide effective solutions to climate change
• He will meet with US President Joe Biden to discuss the climate, COVID-19 and poverty
• The Vatican will send a delegation to the COP26 climate conference

"It is essential that each of us be committed to this urgent change of direction," Pope Francis said in a message broadcast on BBC Radio. 

"The political decision makers who will meet at COP26 in Glasgow are urgently summoned to provide effective responses to the present ecological crisis and in this way to offer concrete hope to future generations." 

The pandemic and climate change offered a "real chance for change," he said.

The pontiff is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden at the Vatican on Friday (local time), where they are expected to discuss COVID-19, climate change and poverty.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said she expected a "warm and constructive dialogue" between the two leaders.

"Climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed our deep vulnerability and raised numerous doubts and concerns about our economic systems and the way we organise our societies," Pope Francis said in the message.

"These crises present us with the need to take radical decisions that are not always easy. At the same time, moments of difficulty like these also present opportunities that we must not waste."

Francis warned against "isolationism, protectionism and exploitation", urging leaders to "build together".

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has committed Australia to become carbon-neutral by 2050, a target already adopted by most nations heading to COP26.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the summit was unbelievably important, but the outcome was in the balance as talks would be difficult.

Ahead of the last UN climate conference in Paris in 2015, Pope Francis released the first-ever ecological encyclical, in which he said the world's prevailing economic model had exploited the poor, ravaged Earth's resources, and turned the planet into an "immense pile of filth".

The Vatican is sending a delegation to the summit, but the 84-year-old pope will not be going following surgery earlier this year.

Scientist says the future of "our children and grandchildren is really at risk"

ABC/wires