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Pope Francis calls on world leaders at COP26 summit to provide 'effective responses'

In a message recorded exclusively for the BBC, Pope Francis has called on world leaders meeting next week at the UN Climate conference in Glasgow to provide "effective responses" to the environment emergency and offer "concrete hope" to future generations.
Speaking from the Vatican for BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day, the Pope talked of crises including the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and economic difficulties, and urged the world to respond to them with vision and radical decisions, so as not to "waste opportunities" that the current challenges present.
The pontiff said: "We can confront these crises by retreating into isolationism, protectionism and exploitation," adding, "or we can see in them a real chance for change."
The BBC reported, he evoked the need for "a renewed sense of shared responsibility for our world", adding that "each of us - whoever and wherever we may be - can play our own part in changing our collective response to the unprecedented threat of climate change and the degradation of our common home."

The Pontiff is due to meet US President Joe Biden at the Vatican later. Mr Biden's domestic climate policies remain on hold after his party postponed a vote on his spending plans.
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The message is a reminder of the emphasis Francis has placed on environmentalism throughout his pontificate.
He has frequently evoked the climate crisis in speeches, and in 2015 published an encyclical, or papal document, called Laudato Si' focusing on the issue. In the text, subtitled On Care for our Common Home, he decried environmental destruction, stressed the need to take mitigating measures and gave an unambiguous acceptance that climate change was largely manmade.
The letter was issued before the 2015 UN climate conference in Paris, COP21, and was seen as having some impact on pushing leaders towards an agreement.
It was evoked during discussions, including by the president of Paraguay, who spoke of the Pope's "dramatic warning that we face a crisis and need to protect the world upon which we rely for life".
Six years on, world leaders are preparing to gather in Glasgow for this year's climate summit, COP26.
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With growing evidence that the commitments made in Paris to keep global temperature rises "preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels" aren't being met, Pope Francis has again focused on the issue, hoping his intervention will have a similar impact.
Earlier this month, he gathered almost 40 faith leaders from across the world at the Vatican to sign a joint appeal calling on COP26 to stick to pledges on global warming, carbon neutrality and support for poorer nations to transition to clean energy. In return, the leaders committed to educating and informing their faithful about the climate emergency.
There was an expectation that the Pope would attend the conference in Glasgow, telling journalists over the summer that his speech was being written. But at the last minute the Vatican announced that the 84-year-old pontiff would not be going, giving no reason.
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That is a blow for COP26's organisers, who had hoped his presence would lend added weight to a summit dubbed "the world's best last chance to get runaway climate change under control".
And so this message through the BBC is intended to give his guidance from afar.
"Every crisis calls for vision… to rethink the future of the world," he said, urging "radical decisions" and "a renewed sense of shared responsibility for our world".
"The most important lesson we can take from these crises is our need to build together, so that there will no longer be any borders, barriers or political walls for us to hide behind."
Source: BBC
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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