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Christian organisations urge Ireland’s EU Presidency to lead on climate justice
A press release issued by the Laudato Si’ Movement says more than 170 Christian organisations from across Europe are urging Ireland to use its Presidency of the Council of the European Union to advance ambitious climate policies, calling for a permanent tax on fossil fuel profits and a faster transition away from coal, oil and gas.
By Francesca Merlo
According to a press release from the Laudato Si’ Movement, as Ireland begins its six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a coalition of more than 170 Christian organisations has appealed to the Irish Government to place climate justice and care for creation at the heart of the European agenda.
Representing more than 33 million Christians across 21 EU Member States, the coalition launched its appeal under the banner Europe, Be Faithful for Our Common Home, warning that Europe’s pursuit of competitiveness must not come at the expense of social cohesion, climate action, rural development, or human dignity.
The appeal came on Wednesday as a delegation from the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC), together with representatives of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference and senior Protestant clergy, met Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin at the start of Ireland’s EU Presidency.
According to COMECE, Church representatives presented a position paper to the Irish Government expressing support for efforts to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness while cautioning that economic growth must remain rooted in solidarity, environmental responsibility, and respect for the dignity of every person.
The wider Christian coalition echoed those concerns as EU competitiveness ministers gathered in Dublin Castle on 9 and 10 July, arguing that Europe’s long-term security and prosperity depend on reducing its reliance on fossil fuels rather than deepening it.
Inspired by Laudato si’
Drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ and Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, the coalition says the ecological crisis cannot be separated from questions of justice, peace, and human dignity.
The press release recalls Pope Leo’s recent address to the Austrian World Summit, in which he described the environmental crisis as “not an isolated issue, but rather the ecological aspect of the contemporary socio-economic crisis.” It also highlights Pope Francis’ call in Laudato si’ to replace fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy and to hear both “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”
Bishop Martin Hayes, Laudato Si’ Coordinator for the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, welcomed the campaign, saying Ireland’s EU Presidency presents an opportunity to promote “a coherent approach to protecting our common home and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.”
He added that the European Union’s priorities of competitiveness, values and security must remain balanced, suggesting that Europe “may have to accept less growth” in order to respond to the needs of poorer countries most affected by climate change.
A call for political action
The campaign comes in the wake of Europe’s most severe recorded heatwave and as discussions begin on the European Union’s next seven-year budget.
According to the coalition, Europe’s six largest oil and gas companies reported a combined 22 billion US dollars in profits during the first quarter of 2026, while millions of people continue to experience the effects of rising energy costs and increasingly frequent climate-related disasters.
Dr Lorna Gold, Executive Director of the Laudato Si’ Movement, said political leaders must choose “the path of courage, peace and the common good,” calling for significantly greater investment in renewable energy, electrification and energy efficiency, together with a permanent tax on excess fossil fuel profits.
Sean Farrell, Chief Executive Officer of Trócaire, stressed that communities least responsible for climate change continue to suffer its most devastating consequences. Europe, he said, has a moral responsibility to phase out fossil fuels while providing fair climate finance to countries on the frontlines of the crisis.
Four priorities
The coalition calls on European leaders to adopt four immediate measures: a legally binding strategy to phase out coal by 2030, gas by 2035 and oil by 2040, alongside an immediate end to new fossil fuel exploration; a permanent windfall tax on fossil fuel profits; substantially increased investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, electrification and the circular economy; and stronger climate financing within the European Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework.
Among the organisations supporting the initiative are Trócaire, Christian Aid Ireland, the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, Knock Shrine, Misean Cara, the Laudato Si’ Movement, Caritas Europa and CIDSE.
According to the press release, with Ireland also preparing to co-host an international conference on phasing out fossil fuels alongside Tuvalu in early 2027, campaign organisers believe the Irish Presidency offers an important opportunity for Europe to demonstrate leadership in responding to what they describe as one of the defining moral challenges of our time.
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