The Catholic Church believes it has a role to play in helping people cope with issues caused by Climate Change.

Archbishop Peter Loy Chong says the church has an obligation to provide spiritual support to people living through the negative effects of climate change.

However Archbishop Chong wants to take the church’s role a step further and be part of efforts that bring about positive change.

“We can say we have our cry, we have our helplessness where we need to ask for the mercy of god, but as people, we should be reacting to peoples’ misery. It should not only be a sentimental thing – it should lead to some definite action on behalf of justice and truth.”

Archbishop Chong says the church is mindful that climate change is caused by people not being careful of how we look after the earth.

He adds that larger economies need to heed the concerns of Small Island Developing States.