Mposha and JCTR’s Father Mutale Unite in Call for Urgent Climate Action
The Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Hon. Mike Elton Mposha, MP, and Father Daniel Mutale, Executive Director of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR), have issued a joint call for urgent and coordinated climate action to secure Zambia’s environment, economy and vulnerable communities.
Speaking on behalf of government, Minister Mposha stressed that climate change was not a distant threat but a present-day reality, eroding food security, undermining economic growth, and destabilising the livelihoods of millions.
He cited Zambia’s increasing vulnerability to erratic rainfall, droughts, floods, land degradation and biodiversity loss, with women, youth and rural populations bearing the heaviest burden.
He pointed to ongoing state-led interventions such as the National Climate Change Policy, the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and mainstreaming climate resilience into the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). Zambia, he reaffirmed, remains committed to the Paris Agreement, underpinned by its revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Highlighting priority areas, Minister Mposha highlighted the importance of green finance, carbon markets, climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy and sustainable land management, not only to protect ecosystems but also to drive inclusive economic development.
Father Mutale, representing the JCTR, emphasised the moral and social dimensions of the climate crisis. Drawing on Catholic social teaching and Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, he insisted that climate justice required urgent attention to inequality, poverty alleviation, and the protection of the most vulnerable.
“Climate justice is about more than protecting the environment; it is about protecting people, addressing inequality, and safeguarding the future,” Father Mutale said. He noted the JCTR’s continued engagement in evidence-based policy advocacy, support for climate-smart agriculture, and faith-driven mobilisation to encourage ethical stewardship.
Both leaders urged government, civil society, the private sector and traditional authorities to move beyond dialogue towards measurable, collaborative climate action.
“We are stewards of this earth. The decisions we make today will shape the lives of future generations. Guided by science, inspired by justice, and united by hope, together we can build a future where people and nature thrive in harmony,” Minister Mposha concluded.
