Caritas Internationalis , the umbrella organization for more than 150 Catholic charities, also will be represented at the climate summit. Caritas and the Catholic International Co-operation for Development and Solidarity have called for a "fair, effective and binding agreement in Copenhagen" that is based on several essential criteria:
- A commitment by developed countries to pledge at least $195 billion in public financing per year by 2020 to help developing countries adapt to climate change.
- An international commitment to keep global warming well below two degrees C (about 3.6 degrees F), and to reach a peak in greenhouse gas emissions in the period 2013-2017.
- Agreement by developed countries to a greenhouse gas emissions target of more than 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, to be reached mainly by domestic emission reductions.
- That Copenhagen outcomes be legally binding and enforceable.
The two Catholic charity organizations represented other Catholic agencies campaigning for a new deal on climate change. Caritas is bringing bishops and other representatives from 25 countries to encourage governments to seize the "once-in-a-generation chance to save the human family from a future of climate chaos."
Migliore spoke to the UN General Assembly about climate change last November. He said a new global strategy must seek long-term solutions and help alleviate poverty by giving special attention to developing countries.
In the speech he warned against fostering short-term economic growth without regard to the environment, saying "we should not burden future generations with our overstated energy consumption."