16 October 2017: Pope Francis and Anglican archbishops called on world leaders and the international community to more urgently tackle climate change and end conflicts in order to ensure food security and reduce displacement. These calls were made ahead of the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UNFCCC and on the occasion of World Food Day 2017, which focused on addressing migration through investing in food security and rural development.

In a letter published by the Renew Our World campaign, Anglican archbishops call for greater action on climate change, expressing concern over its impact on vulnerable communities. They urge countries to address this “challenge of our generation” by: setting targets in order to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C above preindustrial levels; investing in 100% clean energy and using local grids to reach impoverished communities; and supporting more sustainable, low-emission agriculture to help communities end hunger and better cope with climate-induced floods and droughts. They urged governments to publish national plans in 2020 showing how each nation will move to zero emissions, and report on progress at COP 24. COP 23 will convene from 6-17 November 2017 in Bonn, Germany. [UNFCCC Press Release] [Letter Published by Renew Our World Campaign]

Pope Francis lamented that “some” countries are moving away from the Paris Agreement on climate change, threatening “the credibility of the whole international system.”

Speaking at the global ceremony to mark World Food Day, Pope Francis said that food security and ending hunger requires tackling climate change and ending conflicts. Speaking in Rome, Italy, to mark the Day, he called for collaboration among governments to make migration a safer and voluntary choice. He lamented that “some” countries are moving away from the Paris Agreement on climate change, threatening “the credibility of the whole international system.”

Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Director-General José Graziano da Silva urged: addressing the root causes of migration, including poverty, food insecurity, inequality, unemployment and lack of social protection; and increasing investments in food security, sustainable rural development and adaptation of agriculture to climate change to reverse migration flows. World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley said conflicts must end in order to achieve ‘Zero Hunger’ by 2030 (SDG 2). International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General William Lacy Swing called climate action “paramount” in mitigating displacement.

IOM and FAO are co-chairing the UN Global Migration Group (GMG), and collaborating to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations in rural areas. With hunger increasing for the first time in over a decade, largely due to increased violent conflicts and climate-related shocks, and an average of 26.4 million people displaced annually by climate or weather-related disasters, investing in rural development can reverse some migration and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (zero hunger).

FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October to commemorate FAO’s founding in 1945. [FAO News Story] [UN News Story] [World Food Day 2017 Website] [World Food Day 2017 Ceremony] [GMG Website]