Bridging the North-South Divide: A Shared Responsibility for Economic and Ecological Justice
Within the framework of a collaboration with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and the Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network Africa (JENA), with the scientific contribution of Deloitte, have prepared the expository paper "Bridging the North-South Divide: A Shared Responsibility for Economic and Ecological Justice", intended to provide research-based metrics for the Thematic Note "Jubilee 2025: remission of the ecological debt".
The paper, which shall be read in conjunction with the Thematic Note to which it refers, provides data-driven insights on the deepening chasm between the Global North and Global South, reflected in the dual crises of financial debt and ecological degradation. It asserts that the debt owed by developing nations is mirrored by an ecological debt owed by industrialized nations - a reality that continues to shape our global inequities.
Drawing on rigorous research and rooted in the Church’s commitment to integral human development, the paper calls for shared responsibility, structural reform, and coordinated global action. Without bold and collective measures, these intertwined crises risk entrenching cycles of poverty, environmental collapse, and systemic injustice.
This collaboration affirms a common conviction: that a more just and sustainable world is possible - and that economic and ecological justice must go hand in hand.
This paper makes an important contribution in this Jubilee year to the important work of raising awareness of the debt crisis facing low- and middle-income countries. It is important to understand the scale and impact of this crisis in order to take the action necessary to fix it now and in the future.
Neil Thorns, Director of Advocacy - Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)
This moment calls for moral clarity and bold responsibility. For too long, the financial and ecological burdens placed upon the Global South have gone unaddressed. At JENA, we believe justice begins by acknowledging these debts and forging new pathways of solidarity. This paper is a vital contribution toward building that shared responsibility.
Fr. Charles Chilufya, S.J., Director - Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network Africa (JENA)
Making the expertise of the Deloitte network available to CAFOD and JENA has given us the opportunity to engage actively and responsibly in addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Through our scientific contribution to this paper, we reaffirm our commitment to support the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, with the belief that shared knowledge is a powerful driver of meaningful change that truly responds to people's needs.
Fabio Pompei, CEO - Deloitte Italy and Central Mediterranean
