The SCN Global Justice Committee recently hosted an event that focused on the 2023 GA directive to work for peace and ecological justice. Teresa Kotturan, SCN, focused on the intersection of the Sustainable Development Goals with that of Laudato Si’ as part of integral ecology. Teresa provided a reflection question that focused on how it is that we are practicing or noticing the practice of integral ecology/integral human development in our ministries. We thank Teresa for her many hours of research and writing in preparation for her sharing on this topic. Teresa shares her presentation in written form below. The video recording will be available at a later date.
Ecological Justice
May 28, 2025
Overview of the last session:
To engage in Ecological Justice, we need to respond to the invitation that Laudato Si offers – Contemplation and Action.
We are called to contemplate on the Gospel of Creation will lead to see Creation is an act of God’s love, and the world is a sacrament of universal communion.
Contemplation leads us to respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor from the depths of our being.
Engaging in ecological justice demands we embrace the new paradigm/framework called integral ecology, for a holistic vision that considers the human and social dimensions of the crisis our common home is facing – the need to address the human roots of the ecological crisis.
Ecological Justice is faith in action. It is a new way of seeing, thinking and acting to address the “human roots of the ecological crisis,” using the see-judge-act methodology.
The ecological crisis is fundamentally a moral crisis, for environmental problems are deeply connected to human behavior, our relationship with nature.
We also looked at the components of integral ecology, the arenas in which we should focus on – human ecology, economic ecology, social ecology, globalization of technocratic paradigm, and cultural ecology.
Integral ecology has shown us that ecological crisis is not a series of problems to be fixed, they are a symptom that goes much deeper – at the heart of ecological crisis lies a deep human and spiritual crisis.
Laudato Si tells us, “A true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; and it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (LS 49).
What is Ecological Justice?
Ecological justice is the integration of social justice and environmental justice. It is based on the principle “everything is interconnected” (LS 70). Social Justice involves – Participation – enabling all to play a role in the political, economic, and social life of communities; Rights – protecting the human rights of all individuals; Diversity – Valuing and respecting differences; Access; and Equity.
Environmental justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all the people with respect to development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits. It consists of distributive justice – equitable distribution, procedural justice – meaningful participation, and recognition justice – human dignity.
Through the framework of integral ecology, Pope Francis has reframed ‘sustainability.’ Sustainability means, meeting todays needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet their own. It involves using resources responsibly so that we do not deplete them. The three main principles of sustainability are environmental, social, and economic sustainability. In Laudato Si sustainability encompasses not only development and resource use, but also expands to include integral human development.
In the 1967 encyclical Populorum Progressio – The Development of Peoples, Pope Paul VI introduced the concept of integral human development. “Development cannot be limited to mere economic growth alone. In order to be authentic, it must be complete: integral, that is, it has to promote the good of every person and of the whole person.” The encyclical calls for the holistic development of the human person, encompassing the physical, intellectual, social, cultural, political, psychological, and spiritual dimensions.
Integral human development is a call to consider the wellbeing of the whole person and the common good, not just economic growth or material progress. It emphasizes the importance of social justice, to ensure the needs and rights of all people are respected and no one is left behind. It also promotes building communities, where individuals can live with dignity and thrive, foster a sense of purpose and meaning in life, and contribute to the common good.
In Laudato Si, Pope Francis expands integral human development by including the ecological dimension, emphasizing the interconnectedness of environmental and social issues. He viewed the environmental crisis as a symptom of deeper social and human problems. He considered the holistic approach essential to address the climate crisis, which is intrinsically linked to social, political and economic problems. We cannot adequately address environmental degradation without also attending to the causes related to human and social degradation.
“Integral ecology and integral human development can be interpreted as synonyms, with integral human development signaling more of the social, cultural, economic, and political dimensions of human life and the dignity of each human person. And the environmental dimension provides a basis to understand the relationship existing between nature and the society and the responsibility to protect nature.” (LSRI Briefing Note on Integral Ecology)
Integral human development should be the moral foundation for our response to our Mission Statement: “care for all creation and to work for peace and justice in solidarity with oppressed and marginalized peoples,” and our Commitment to “Work for peace and ecological justice.”
Since integral human development is grounded in Catholic Social Teaching Principles, we need integrate them into ecological justice engagements. These are the CST Principles that should guide us:
- Dignity of the Human Person
- Common Good
- Solidarity
- Subsidiarity and Participation
- Preferential Option for the Poor
- Universal Destination of Goods
- Stewardship of Creation
- Economic Justice
- Promotion of Peace
Having laid the foundation for our engagement in ecological justice, how shall we involve ourselves, what ate the practical steps?
My experience at the United Nations, experience of major organizations around the world and readings have shown that we can engage in ecological justice by implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the lens of Laudato Si. The core mantra of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is “leave no one behind.” This commitment to leave no one is like the principle of Preferential Option for the Poor from Catholic Social Teaching.
The 2030 Agenda seeks to restore dignity and equality to all human beings, by eradicating poverty and hunger and protecting the planet from degradation through sustainable consumption and production. The agenda “envisages a world of universal respect for human rights and human dignity, the rule of law, justice, equality and non-discrimination; of respect for race, ethnicity and cultural diversity; and of equal opportunity permitting the full realization of human potential and contributing to shared prosperity.” We can see how the principles of integral ecology – integral human development resonate with the 2030 Agenda.
You Sisters are familiar with Sustainable Development Goals and are engaged in implementing them in and through your ministries. There are 17 SDGs with 169 targets, which are integrated and indivisible. Almost all the SDGs are incorporated into Laudato Si.
From our previous session we learned about arenas we are to engage in – human ecology, economic ecology, cultural ecology, social ecology, globalization of technocratic paradigm and the common good. We are called to engage at the local, national, and global levels. The reality of your local/national area will determine your point of entry. It is important to employ Catholic Social Teaching methodology – See-Judge-Act, for analysis of the reality, critical theological reflection on the reality and action plan to change the reality.
What are the issues Laudato Si holds invites us to engage in:
- Food and Nutrition – SDG 2
- Water – SDG 6
- Energy – SDG 7
- Ecosystems, Deforestation, Desertification, Land use – SDG 15
- Seas and Oceans – SDG 14
- Circular Economy – SDG 12
- Work – SDGs 8, 9
- Finance – SDGs 1, 8, 10, 17.
- Urbanization – Housing – SDG 11
- Institutions, Justice, and Public Administration – SDG 16
- Health – SDG 3
- Climate: Challenges, Responsibilities, Opportunities – SDG 13
(SDGs 4 and 5 are not directly addressed in Laudato Si. It does reference Ecological Education. The narrative is gender binary. In LS, the God-talk is patriarchal, and Earth-talk is feminine. (LS 1, 72 -75, 241)
Pope Francis does rebuke patriarchy – abuse of the feminine earth is a problem because humans adopted a patriarchal mindset – “we have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters.” (LS 2) (223, 240))
Let us look at the 2030 Agenda through the lens of Laudato Si.
The 2030 Agenda promises to uphold the dignity of the human person and respect for human rights. The following SDGs are related to this topic:
SDG 1. End poverty in all its form everywhere.
SDG 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
SDG 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
SDG 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
SDG 6. Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
SDG 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
SDG 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
All these SDGs are concerned with the basic needs of all people everywhere.
Laudato Si affirms the dignity of each person as the basis of human rights and links this dignity with responsibility towards the common good, the environment and future generations, as well as an expected change in lifestyle. Dignity comes with responsibility to respect creation. Dignity is relational, it demands both a focus on integral development of individuals and the pursuit of the common good. We are called to tackle abuses of human dignity, such as human trafficking (LS 91), child exploitation, exploitative labor practices (LS 123), the causes of poverty, forced displacement of people from their lands leading to migration (LS 46, 48). There is a call to focus on unsustainable levels of consumption and wealth – should there be a limit on accumulation of goods?
Laudato Si affirms preferential option for the poor, which relates closely to leave no one behind. We are asked to prioritize the needs of the weakest groups and to see them as agents of change. The 2030 agenda goes further to “reach those who are furthest behind the first.” This means that we act on violence against and girls, trafficking, sexual exploitation; providing access to adequate water for sanitation hygiene for all; protect labor rights, and promote safe working environments while focusing on migrants, especially women; facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and migration policies; reduce death and number of people affected by disasters and economic loss on most vulnerable groups.
Leaving no one behind demands an integrated approach, which begins with a personal conversion leading to a change in lifestyle, which will lead us to challenge the globalization of indifference. Communal conversion is needed to change structures that perpetuate poverty, exploitation and for a commitment to common good. We are asked to practice politics and policymaking in a different way, based on genuine encounter and dialogue.
Tackle Inequality
The 2030 Agenda recognizes the need to tackle inequality both between countries and within countries. The agenda envisages a world in which every woman and girl enjoys full gender equality, as well as the removal of all legal, social, and economic barriers to their empowerment.
SDG 4. Quality education.
SDG 5. Women empowerment and gender equality
SDG 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries.
Laudato Si sees Inequality as a moral issue. Inequality affects all people, but the poorest people are the most impacted. Laudato Si asks us to be indignant of the enormous inequality in our world (LS 90). Inequality includes a lack access to technology, food, health, and water (LS 48, 52). A third of all the food produced is thrown away while millions are starving. It is as if it were “stolen from the table of the poor” (LS 50). Inequality leads to environmental damage due to the disproportionate use of natural resources, export of raw materials, pollution, deforestation in certain countries.
We need to address the structural drivers of inequality – challenging the concentration of power in the hand of the most powerful people (LS 82). We need to address the relational inequality and disconnect between various groups – a lack of physical contact and encounter (LS 49). Pay special attention to women to tackle inequality and discrimination they face on land rights, access to education, participation in dialogue, employment, and justice.
Integrate environment and development.
The 2030 Agenda is determined to protect the planet from degradation…so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations (Preamble) It is committed to achieve sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner (2) The following SDGs 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are concerned with protecting the planet.
We can see how the mantra of Laudato Si, ‘everything is interconnected’ and the importance of integral ecology/integral human development comes to the fore in the 2030 Agenda. There is one complex crisis which is both social and environmental; hence social justice and environmental justice need to be addressed together (LS 49). We have a responsibility to care for creation as stewards since the environment and climate are our patrimony. We also have a responsibility to protect the earth for future generations to enjoy its fruits (LS 48).
We need to look at our own lifestyles – as each economic transaction, including every purchase, is a moral decision – not just an economic one (LS 206).
We called to challenge the current models of development that lead to environmental degradation – because of its dependence on fossil fuels (LS 23) and its impacts on the poorest countries and communities.
We need greater international commitments on the energy transition – to move away from fossil fuels to renewables. Rich countries have an ecological debt towards poor countries and a responsibility to reduce global warming, since they have a greater contribution to it. It is needed to keep global warming below 1.5 degree Celsius.
We can also participate in the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, which would complement the Paris Agreement. The initiative has come from two small Pacific Islands – Vanuatu and Tuvalu and sixteen countries have joined them and supported by World Health Organization and the European Parliament. You can endorse as an organization or an individual to generate pressure for other countries to join the endeavor.
175 countries have agreed to create an international legally binding treaty to end plastic production. We have learned about the impact of plastics on the environment and our oceans. Negotiations are still ongoing, and we can actively participate it through advocacy.
Promote Participation and Dialogue
The United Nations spent two years for intense consultation and engagement with civil society and other stakeholders around the world to finalize the SDGs and their targets. It was truly an inclusive decision-making process.
SDGs that promote participation and dialogue are – 5.5, 6.b, 11.3, 16.6, and 16.7.
Laudato Si affirms the need for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet (LS 14). This dialogue is a process where consensus should be reached between different stakeholders (LS 183), starting from the needs of the most vulnerable people and groups. Participation is both a good and a duty aimed at promoting common good. Local populations have a special place based on their urgency and cultural identity. People living in poverty “artisans of their own destiny,” should have a place at the table to engage in dialogue based on their own identity. Social problems must be addressed by community networks and broader alliances.
Dialogue also means that each person needs to be open to change. Dialogue is necessary for finding new models of development. Special care should be given to Indigenous communities and their cultural traditions.
Strengthen Governance and Global Partnership for Implementation
The 2030 Agenda has universal application, while each country has the responsibility to determine their development focus, they need global cooperation for implementation. There must be collaborative partnerships with other countries and all stakeholders. Governments policies create inclusive institutions and provide access to justice to all people. Steps should be taken to implement the rule of law, reduce corruption and bribery. Governments should be accountable to their people and transparent in governance. People should have access to information and their fundamental freedoms should be protected.
The SDGs involved here are 16, 16.5, 16.7, 17 and 17.6.
Laudato Si tells us that strengthened governance at local, national, and international level as well as universal solidarity and subsidiarity are necessary for “one world with a common plan” (LS 164). The world also needs enforceable international agreements and global regulatory norms based on “common but differentiated responsibilities of countries” (LS 52).
We are asked to develop ecological citizenship to tackle corruption and protect the environment, based on the principle of subsidiarity where people contribute to the
We also need to recognize and tackle vested interests – very visible in the power that multinational corporations wield today. They are more powerful than most developing countries.
Since we “lack leadership capable of striking out on new paths and meeting the needs of the present with concern for all,” what is required is a politics which is far-sighted and capable of a new integral and interdisciplinary approach to handling the different aspects of the crisis” (LS 197). We need to engage in the political processes in our own countries, though they are fraught with challenges – how to navigate amidst chaos and uncertainty. (“Politics are the highest form of charity. Love is a political matter. Love is for everybody, and when love is not universal, politics fail in their intent” Pope Francis.
Change Consumption and Production Patterns
The 2030 Agenda is committed to protect the planet from degradation through sustainable consumption and production. It is committed to change the way societies produce and consume goods and services.
SDGs involved are, 8.4, 11.6, 12, 12.3, 12.5, 12.6, 12.8, 12.c.
Laudato Si invites to change our lifestyles – to move away from consumeristic, throwaway culture. Personal and communal conversion would lead to new lifestyle, for our lifestyles contribute to injustice. Change in lifestyle can be a route to political change through bringing “healthy pressure to bear on those wield political, economic and social power” and change the way businesses operate, forcing them to consider the environmental footprint and their patterns of production” (LS 206).
Promote the Role of Technology
The 2030 Agenda sees the role of technology as central to meeting all the goals and targets and the need for technology to be equitably distributed, with greater focus on technology transfer. The Agenda wants to ensure all people enjoy the economic, social, and technological progress inharmony with nature. Information and communication technology are necessary for global connectedness and there is need to bridge the digital divide. It is necessary for innovation in areas like medicine and energy.
SDGs for this focus are, 1.4, 5.b, 7.a, 8.2, 9, 12.a, and 17.7.
Laudato Si states that technology when used well can improve the quality of human life (LS 103) and it must be directed towards progress that is “healthier, more human, more social, more integral” (LS 112).
We heard during the previous session about the need to challenge the current ‘technocratic paradigm’ and that technology and market forces alone are not capable of solving environmental problems. Technology must be at the service of people.
Support Economic Growth, Business and Decent Work
Economy has a central role in the 2030 Agenda to create conditions for sustainable, inclusive, and sustained economic growth for shared prosperity and decent work for all.
SDGs under this area are, 8, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.8, 2.3, 10.1 and 12.6.
Laudato Si affirms the significant role of businesses for authentic development which includes efforts to bring about integral improvement in the quality of human life (LS 147). “Business is a noble vocation…producing wealth and improving our world. It should see the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good” (LS 129). Steady employment brings dignity to people’s lives.
Businesses should be accountable to society – they have the obligation to consider the good of the persons and not only the increase of profits. What we experience in the current world environment is a value shift – businesses are concerned with providing greater returns to their investors at the cost of human rights and the environment.
We have a duty to address the present limitations and failures in the economy, especially the concentration of power in certain groups and individuals that work against common good. The current global economic scene is an example.
Work is a vocation, it is a creative process we engage in, and it helps us to be in relationship with other human beings. “Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfilment” (LS 128).
Finance is another area we need to pay attention to follow the money to see who controls and benefits. Be attentive check the processes our governments follow to make the national budgets. Create mechanisms to hold our governments accountable to the people. We need to ensure there is transparency and our institutions have checks and balances to reduce corruption.
Be alert when new investors come to your area with promises of employment opportunities, good wages, and prosperity for the locals. Investigate to see who is going to benefit from the investment and who will be impacted negatively by it.
“Ecological justice involves an ethical transformation where healthy relationships of exchange, sharing, and co-creating become a central principal of pursuing justice” (Jesuit Social Service). It requires a reconciliation between humanity and nature and hence we can say ecological justice flows out of our ecological conversion and spirituality. An integral part of the journey of ecological justice involves building communities of justice.
It is important to befriend people, engage in dialogue to learn what they need, and use the method of see-judge-act to make a common plan and to accompany them on their transformative journey, that leads to systemic change.
There is no single method for Implementing Integral Ecology/Integral Human Development. You must draw up a plan suits your local need. It is important to network and be in solidarity with other groups/individuals in your area to engage in the various dimensions of Integral Ecology. No one person or group can address all the issues. Together with others, you can work for transformation. Know that change happens at the local level. “Be the Change You Want to See in the World.”
As a conclusion, I like to leave you with the following statement from Earth Charter and is quoted in Laudato Si. “As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning. … Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life” (LS 207).
Resources:
Engaging in the 2030 Agenda through the lens of Laudato Si Published by CAFOD in 2018
Journeying Towards Care of our Common Home Five Years After Laudato Si from Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2020
The Ten New Green Commandments of Laudato Si – Joshstrom Isaac Kureethadam SDB
Teresa Kotturan SCN
May 28, 2025