UISG published its first-ever ecological statement on November 3^rd 2022, under the title Sisters for the Environment: Integrating Voices from the Margins. The statement’s core message reflects and clarifies the response of Catholic Sisters to the environmental challenges of our time, outlining three pillars of ecological advocacy, with a series of actionable aims corresponding to each. In this statement, UISG calls on the international development community to integrate responses to climate change and biodiversity loss, integrate care for people and our planet, and integrate vulnerability from the margins in leadership and decision-making. The document also includes five testimonies from Sisters on the frontlines, showcasing a broad range of engagement across different issues and regions.

On one hand, this statement addressed the urgency of its moment, identifying COP27 and COP15 as crucial opportunities to start turning the tide of destruction that is ravaging our Earth. On the other hand, it expressed a deep-rooted, faith-driven vision for ecological conversion that has inspired Sisters for many decades and continues to do so every day, all around the world. Looking ahead to our work in 2023, this statement creates a platform to outline principles and orientations for a more sustainable future, based on the learnings that Catholic Sisters have acquired through their exceptional engagement with grassroots communities. You can read the full statement here.