Our Common Home, Our Common Responsibility
Daniel Mwamba Mutale SJ
The Second National Summit on Climate Change Adaptation and Environmental Management was convened by the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) in Lusaka on 24 June 2026 under the theme: “Strengthening Community Resilience Through Inclusive Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Environmental Management in Zambia.” The summit reaffirmed that climate change is not only an environmental crisis but also a profound social justice challenge. Throughout the discussions, participants recognised that the communities contributing least to climate change are often those bearing its heaviest burdens. Small-scale farmers, women, young people, and low-income households continue to face the devastating consequences of droughts, floods, erratic rainfall, and environmental degradation, threatening their livelihoods, food security, and dignity. The summit therefore reinforced the conviction that climate justice begins with protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring that their voices shape national responses.
A key reflection emerging from the summit was the inseparable relationship between care for the environment and care for the poor. Environmental degradation deepens poverty by reducing access to productive land, clean water, forests, and other natural resources on which many communities depend. For this reason, climate adaptation cannot be pursued solely through technical interventions; it must be rooted in the promotion of human dignity. The panel discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening community resilience through sustainable land management, agroecological practices, inclusive governance, and climate financing that reaches those most affected. Such approaches recognise that environmental stewardship and social justice are mutually reinforcing rather than competing priorities.
The summit also demonstrated the value of bringing together civil society, traditional leaders, researchers, faith-based organisations, development partners, youth, women, and community representatives to develop practical and evidence-based solutions. The commitment to institutionalise the summit as an annual national platform reflects a shared determination to sustain dialogue, strengthen accountability, and advance coordinated climate action. Above all, the gathering served as a reminder that the pursuit of environmental and climate justice is fundamentally about safeguarding the wellbeing of people, especially the poor and marginalised, while protecting our common home for present and future generations.
Daniel Mwamba Mutale SJ is the Executive Director of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR), a faith-based think-tank based in Lusaka, Zambia. Mutale is part of the Global Ignatian Advocacy Network as coordinator of the Agroecology and Food Systems Thematic Working Group to provide leadership for networks, amplify voices from the margins, and promote sustainable, faith-driven responses to the ecological crisis which threaten food systems and security.
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