Brother Jazzeal Jakosalem participates in the post-COP30 assessment: “The biggest failure is the lack of commitment to divestment”

The Augustinian Recollect Jazzeal Jakosalem, director of ARCORES International, participated in the COP30 assessment, highlighting the impact of climate inaction on the most vulnerable and the urgent need for divestment.

The Pablo VI Foundation hosted a meeting between civil and ecclesial organizations this Tuesday, December 9, to evaluate the results of COP30 and renew their commitment to climate justice. Friar Jazzeal Jakosalem participated on behalf of ARCORES International, denouncing the lack of commitment to divestment as one of the summit’s major failures. From recoletos.org we thank the Pablo VI Foundation for the invitation to this space for shared reflection and ethical commitment to the common home.

A prophetic voice from the margins

On Tuesday, December 9, weeks after COP30, representatives from various Church and civil society organizations met at the headquarters of the Pablo VI Foundation in Madrid to evaluate the results of the climate summit and share strategies for joint commitment to socio-environmental justice. The meeting, organized by entities such as Redes, Cáritas, Manos Unidas, and the Department of Integral Ecology of the CEE, brought together diverse voices, but with a common goal: to continue advancing in the fulfillment of the Paris Agreement and in the integral care of the common home.

One of the participants was Brother Jazzeal Jakosalem, OAR, director of ARCORES International, representing the REDES-Enlázate por la Justicia alliance. From his experience in the Philippines and his participation in international summits as a member of the Living Laudato Si’ network, he offered a lucid and urgent testimony on the climate crisis.

“The biggest failure of this summit was the lack of commitment to divestment”

In his speech, Brother Tagoy ─as he is known─ denounced the limited real progress on fundamental issues such as the elimination of fossil fuels and divestment plans. “The lack of commitment to divestment is the biggest failure of this summit,” he stated emphatically, referring to the devastating consequences of climate inaction in places like the Philippines, where successive typhoons have left thousands dead and millions affected.

Despite these contexts of pain, not even the most directly affected governments have signed divestment agreements. The cause? Economic interests and fear, as also pointed out by other speakers at the meeting. “Not wanting to change the lifestyle” was one of the most repeated conclusions.

A shared moral imperative

The meeting was also an opportunity to value the voice of the most affected communities and those who work for their rights. According to María del Carmen Molina, a member of the Department of Integral Ecology of the CEE, one of the advances was precisely “having listened to the most vulnerable, especially the indigenous peoples and the ecclesial entities that accompany them in Latin America.”

Amid the balance of light and shadows, the participants agreed to emphasize the urgency of strengthening multilateralism in the face of geopolitical blockades and of building a more united and strong civil society, capable of demanding coherent public policies and real changes in mentality.

From non-denominationalism and the ecclesial world, the consensus was clear: ecological commitment is not only technical, it is a moral imperative. “An informed and active civil society is key for peace,” they recalled, citing Pope Francis’ recent message to COP30.

The participation of Brother Jazzeal Jakosalem in this event reinforces the commitment of ARCORES and the entire Augustinian Recollect family in the defense of climate justice, with a special focus on the poorest and most excluded, in fidelity to the Gospel and the magisterium of Laudato Si’.