Parolin at Cop30: 'Climate change generates more displaced people than conflicts'

Reaching the stage of the climate summit, where political leaders from almost all over the world took turns on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 November, Parolin read out a message from the Pope, who emphasised that peace is also threatened 'by the lack of due respect for creation, the plundering of natural resources and a progressive decline in the quality of life due to climate change'.

Just on Friday 7, the European Climate Service, Copernicus, said that 2025 "will almost certainly be the second or third warmest year" ever, confirming predictions by the World Meteorological Organisation (Wmo). Last month, an average temperature of 1.55 degrees above the pre-industrial period was recorded. All of the last 12 months have exceeded the 1.5 degree ceiling set by the Paris Agreement. Although 2025 may remain below the threshold, it is likely that the global average temperature for the period 2023-2025 will do so: it would be yet another 'first'.

In Belem, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recalled what global warming means in people's real lives, even in advanced countries. "Climate change," he said, "is killing more and more people. In Spain it has cost more than 20,000 lives in five years'. In 2024, the Valencian community was hit by 'the terrible storm Dana' and this summer, fires devastated half a million hectares of territory. Sanchez pointed out that in the seven years of his government, Spain has increased its installed solar and wind energy capacity by 140% and multiplied its self-consumption capacity. At the same time, Spain is one of the fastest growing advanced countries in years.

'The climate,' concluded the Spanish premier, 'is much more than a statistic. It is the bread that is missing when there is a drought or the house that is lost when there is a flood'.

Sanchez also announced plans to tax commercial flights and private jets. "We are collaborating with other countries: it is fair that those who have more and pollute more, pay the fair share".

In his speech, German Chancellor and leader of the Christian Democrats, Friedrich Merz, who has a much more conservative approach to the energy transition, emphasised the role of innovation and the needs of the economy.