Global Catholic Climate Movement is grateful to work with a worldwide network of Catholic people and institutions to bring Laudato Si’ to life. In response to the needs of our most vulnerable sisters and brothers, and in light of the recent IPCC report on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in the next 12 years to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees, we are committed to increasing the ambition and urgency of our work in 2019.

We achieve change in three impact areas:

• Spirituality: We encourage local communities to undergo the ecological conversion needed to heal our relationship with creation and the poor.
• Lifestyles: We encourage meaningful lifestyle changes to shrink carbon footprints and protect the most vulnerable.
• Public policy: We elevate voices to call for bold climate policies.

In 2019, we will coordinate an ambitious calendar of campaigns and develop new ways to inspire and equip people and institutions around the world.

2019 Calendar of Campaigns

January 22-27: World Youth Day

In collaboration with the OFM Franciscans, GCCM will lead initiatives to educate and activate millions of pilgrims at the World Youth Day celebration. Highlights include a special Laudato Si’ section on the conference website, featured time on the main stage and on billboards and buildings throughout the city, a conference, a Laudato Si’ Village, and Laudato Si’ spaces in local parishes.

March 5-26: Laudato Si’ Animators Training

GCCM’s signature online training program will be facilitated in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and will include a new training module for young people. Offline trainings will take place in Poland and Italy. Animators’ capstone projects will take place during Lent and Mercy2Earth week.

March 6-April 18: Lenten campaign

During Lent, GCCM will encourage our network to commit to radical transformation and protect the Amazon by eating vegetarian meals. Ranching is responsible for as much as 80% of Amazon deforestation, and meat production is a surprisingly strong driver of greenhouse gas emissions. We will encourage commitments to vegetarian meals from members of our network.

April 22-28: Mercy2Earth Week

GCCM will coordinate a #Mercy2Earth week of celebration and action running from Earth Day, which is also Easter Monday, to a global day of action on Mercy Sunday. This weeklong celebration will be the culmination of our Lenten campaign and an opportunity for shared reflection in communities.

May: Catholic Divestment Announcement

GCCM will facilitate a divestment announcement to raise a prophetic voice for a carbon-neutral world that runs on the clean energy economy.

June 18-July 18: Laudato Si’ Animators Training

GCCM’s signature online training program will be facilitated in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and will include a new training module for young people. Offline trainings will take place in Poland and Italy. Animators’ capstone projects will take place during the Season of Creation.

September 1-October 4: Season of Creation

GCCM will join the global Christian family in highlighting the 2019 theme “web of life.” Sustainability and advocacy initiatives will highlight the Amazon.

Late September: Climate Mobilizations

GCCM will join climate mobilizations related to the UN Secretary General’s climate summit, fostering momentum for enhanced ambition to deliver on the Paris climate agreement.

October: Catholic Divestment Announcement

GCCM will facilitate a divestment announcement related to the synod on the Amazon, raising a prophetic voice for a carbon-neutral world that runs on the clean energy economy.

November 11-22: COP25

GCCM will work with Catholic partners to amplify the Catholic voice at the UN climate summit.

Cross-cutting priorities

In addition to our annual calendar of campaigns, we will implement four new ways of working across programs. These new ways of working have been developed in response to feedback from our network and a strategic analysis by our board and staff.

1.  Strengthening GCCM as a platform: GCCM will develop online tools and offline groups to enable our members to lead independently. We will strengthen members’ ability share information among themselves, to organize local advocacy initiatives, and to meet in person. By distributing leadership, community-focused initiatives will be united within a global purpose. Programs strengthened by this action include Laudato Si’ Animators, Laudato Si’ Circles, Laudato Si’ Retreats, and Member Organizations.
2. Launching a sustainability program: GCCM will launch a major initiative to enable Catholic institutions to drastically reduce their carbon footprints, with a goal of committed institutions reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. We will offer resources and training, a community to share best practices, and tools to track progress. Programs strengthened by this action include the sustainability program itself and Member Organizations.
3. Hastening the transition to a clean energy economy: GCCM will strengthen its work in areas most likely to disrupt the unsustainable fossil fuel industry and hasten the transition to a clean energy economy. We will focus our staff capacity on key regions (Brazil, Poland, Italy, EU, United States, Mexico, Argentina) and connect our crucial divest-invest work to global moments. Programs strengthened by this action include Laudato Si’ Animators, Member Organizations, and Divest-Invest.

1. Focusing attention on the Amazon: GCCM will drive global Catholic attention to the Amazon, one of the world’s greatest engines of carbon removal. The Amazon is under threat by new governments, who disregard the rights of its indigenous communities and its vital role in protecting our common home. At the same time, the Amazon and its peoples are the focus of a synod that will be held in October. We will incorporate action for the Amazon into our calendar of campaigns and we will support the work of the synod’s organizing committee. Programs strengthened by this action include Lent, Earth Day, Season of Creation, Laudato Si’ Animators, and Member Organizations.

A Spirit of Possibility

Over the past four years, GCCM has taken great strides towards greater care of creation.  Global Catholic Climate Movement is guided by Laudato Si’ and the Holy Spirit, and we are grateful to work alongside a global network of Catholic people and institutions devoted to solving the climate crisis. We remain committed to hearing “the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor,” and look forward to making an impact in 2019.