EarthBeat Weekly: Catholic groups to COP31: Refocus attention on climate change

Catholic groups to COP31: Refocus attention on climate change   EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change November 13, 2026   Environmental activists lead a protest outside the main hall at the COP31 United Nations climate change conference in Antalya, Turkey, on Nov. 9, 2026. (Courtesy of UN Climate Change/Kubilay Ciftci) COP31, the United Nations climate change conference, began Monday in Antalya, Turkey.  The annual summit comes on the heels of the hottest summers on record in the U.S. and Europe and following a devastating flash flood in Nepal triggered partly by a collapsing glacier that killed at least 1,400 people and left 5,200 more missing.  It is also the first climate gathering since scientists acknowledged in August that it is "inevitable" that the world will reach and surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) — the central temperature limit goal under the Paris Agreement — by 2030, and with it amplifying tremendously the risk of destruction from severe weather on societies and ecosystems. With that backdrop, as I reported this week at EarthBeat, climate change has taken somewhat of a backseat to other geopolitical developments, whether wars in Ukraine and Russia that have disrupted global oil markets or the hypersonic rise of artificial intelligence and its extensive energy demands via data centers.  Catholic officials attending COP31 insist, though, that countries must refocus attention on climate change in this moment, including redoubling efforts to deliver on past financing pledges and to garner support for a just transition from fossil fuels.  Those aims were cited by numerous Catholic organizations in the lead-up and early days of COP31. Among them, Caritas Internationalis, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Network of Catholic Climate and Environment Actors (a coalition of Caritas and other development groups that collaborates with the Vatican delegation at U.N. summits), CIDSE, the Laudato Si' Movement and the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar. A phaseout of fossil fuels is a central target for many Catholic groups, who are looking for COP31 to build off momentum from a separate international meeting of nearly 60 countries in April on the subject.  "The transition is not simply about changing how economies produce energy or manage resources. It is about changing the way societies value people, share resources and relate to the natural world," Caritas said earlier this month after it issued a report on principles for an integral and just transition from fossil fuels. How, and if, COP31 advances that transition will play out in the coming days. The summit is set to conclude Nov. 20. Read more: Nations must advance climate funding, fossil fuel phaseout at COP31, Catholic groups say What else is new on EarthBeat:   Ahead of COP31, climate disruptions in Africa force children out of school by Doreen Ajiambo In drought-stricken northern Kenya and flood-prone areas around Lake Victoria, climate shocks are forcing children out of school. Ahead of COP31, Sr. Maamalifar M. Poreku said, "We have to measure what children lose, not only what buildings lose." Read more here »   Uruguay shows the way on renewable energy by Thomas Reese, Religion News Service When the pope visited Uruguay, the media noted it is the most secular country in Latin America, with the lowest percentage of Catholics. What was not noted is that Uruguay is powered almost entirely by renewable energy: wind, solar and hydro. Read more here »   Catholic groups say Russian missile attacks endanger aid to Ukrainians by Jonathan Luxmoore, OSV News Aid organizations warn that increasing attacks by Russian missiles are preventing supply access to Ukraine, after strike in Dnipro killed 44 civilians and after a Catholic volunteer lost a leg delivering food in Bakhmut. Read more here » What's happening in other climate news: Global warming remains unchecked, experts warn at UN's COP31 climate summit —Bob Berwyn for Inside Climate News Democrats won big. Does that mean climate is back on the agenda? —Sarah Kaplan, Jake Spring and Jeremy B. Merrill for the Washington Post Democrats plan investigation into climate and science cuts under Trump —Evan Halper for The New York Times Trump admin will offload federal public lands, Interior says —Roque Planas and Chris D'Angelo for Public Domain As Texas embraces carbon storage, a Black community questions the risks —Emily Foxhall for The Texas Tribune Trump official who wants data centers on public lands has tens of millions invested in AI industry —Mark Olalde for ProPublica Can the transition to clean energy survive the war in Iran? —Lisa Friedman for The New York Times In Nigeria, solar panels are the new wedding gift —Yinka Ibukun for Bloomberg Final Beat: If you like what you read here, support our reporting by becoming a NCR Forward member.  Members get first access to special events, updates from our publisher and newsroom and opportunities to give feedback through surveys and polls. You can also forward this newsletter to a friend and ask them to subscribe. As always, thanks for reading EarthBeat.     Brian Roewe Environment Correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!   Advertisement