Sabrina M. Chiefari is a Catholic Environmental Educator from Tkaronto/Toronto. As Integral Ecology Specialist for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, she is a long-time proponent of Deep Ecology and Integral Ecology.

I had the privilege of virtually participating as part of a delegation representing For the Love of Creation, under the United Church of Canada, for the first two weeks of November for COP26. Being a member of that virtual delegation meant that I was observing the goings-on at COP26, and determining paths to advocacy, through an informed, faith-based lens.

Contrary to what one may think, it was quite easy to approach this massive conference of major import as an engaged Catholic. Each of the last three Popes have issued clear, concise, and critical statements on our ecological crises, the foremost being climate change. There is nothing left unsaid about where the Church stands, Cardinal Parolin, at the end of the World Leaders’ Summit, highlighting Pope Francis’ urge “…for commitment on the part of all, particularly those countries possessed of greater means. These countries need to take a leading role.” Before COP26 could even open with its flurry of speeches, peppered with imperatives, pleas, and appeals, Pope Francis added the voice of the Church to not one but two major joint statements from Religious Leaders addressing COP26.

Setting more ambitious GHG emissions reductions is possible, as we press our elected representatives to act swiftly and justly to effect high-level changes here, in Canada, first.

Financially supporting the Global South, as they adapt, recover, and rapidly transition their communities away from dependence on extractive industry is possible, as nations continue to band together and make their needs understood.

And implementing UNDRIP is all the more possible, with steadily increasing understanding of the priority role Indigenous Peoples around the world have in safe-guarding biodiversity and implementing effective strategies.

I’m infuriated that over the course of my lifetime youth so many people, often disenfranchised and in peril from the real effects of climate change, are fighting tooth and nail to prevent as much loss as they can, while still grieving what they realize they will never have. COP26 concluded on November 13th with the issue of the Glasgow Climate Pact. While not a set-back exactly, the international pact does little to advance the widespread changes needed to curb the very worst, the unrecoverable point, of climate change.

There was always going to be work to commit to after this conference, and so now that work takes centre-stage; the work of supporting those advocating for the mechanisms to fight climate change in their homes; the work of enabling our planet to heal; and the work of effecting just changes. There are more conferences of this scale on the horizon, and the work must continue to, through, and beyond those as well.