?Conference organized by the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and of Social Sciences – Slavery and climate change

For the first time in the Vatican more than 70 mayors of the world’s big
cities, together with local governors and representatives of the United
Nations, will share experiences and make proposals to fight against climate
change and modern slavery. The Pontifical Academies of Sciences and of Social
Sciences have invited these leaders to a conference entitled, “Modern slavery
and climate change: the commitment of the cities” in the New Synod Hall on 21
July. The next day, 22 July, a second conference will be held, in collaboration
with the United Nations, on the theme: “Prosperity, people, and planet:
achieving sustainable development in our cities” in the Casina Pio IV.

The schedule was presented by Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, Chancellor
of both Pontifical Academies, during a press conference on Wednesday morning,
15 July, in the Holy See Press Office.

The prelate explained the reason that the mayors were invited to discuss
such topics, recalling the international conference promoted by the Bishops’
Conference of England and Wales in April 2014 on the theme: “Combatting Human
Trafficking: The Church and Law Enforcement in Partnership”. Several
bishops, police chiefs, as well as heads of Europol and Interpol from 22
countries participating in the conference, stressed “the importance of having
the bishops support their moral commitment towards the poorest of the poor”.
However it is important to involve civic leaders as they are the ones in charge
of public security.

The Bishop Chancellor then underlined that in his encyclical Laudato
Si’ the Pope highlights the concerning effects of global warming. In
several studies, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences has also highlighted how
global warming is accompanied by the rising sea level. Additionally, the Bishop
added that this phenomenon is “difficult not to link it to extreme weather
events such as prolonged drought, heat waves and destructive storms, which are
becoming more and more frequent”. Humanity, he continued, is called “to
recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in
order to combat this warming or at least the human causes, which produce or
aggravate it”.