The Paris accord is a moral triumph, but there’s still work to be done.

Climate change offers a test of our moral imagination, our capacity to feel the suffering of far-off people and future generations. We must act, but we may never see the faces of those who benefit from our action. By that measure, the Paris accord on climate change stands as a testament to our shared humanity. Nearly 200 nations—friend and foe, ally and adversary—pledged to do their fair share to rein in dangerous carbon pollution and to be held accountable for their progress. 

Today, the world is united, with one notable exception: Republican members of Congress. Congressional Republicans have remained uncharacteristically mute on the success of the agreement, which received no mention in this week’s GOP debate. They have turned their backs on climate change, and now they find themselves at odds with CEOs, doctors, scientists, military leaders and the American voter. Two in three adults believe the United States should join an international agreement to limit planetary warming. 

{mosads}Americans understand that climate action is a moral imperative even if Republicans in Congress do not. Unchecked warming would wreak havoc on our shared home, dealing an especially severe blow to impoverished people around the globe. Hotter temperatures would melt the polar ice caps, flooding coastal cities and submerging low-lying islands. Oppressive heat waves would provoke heat stroke and spur the spread of deadly diseases. Widespread drought would strain the supply of food and water, leading to mass migration and political instability. 

The Paris agreement marks a turning point in our climatic trajectory. According to an analysis from Climate Interactive and the MIT Sloan School of Management, if countries continue to offer more ambitious pledges, as the Paris agreement demands, we may keep warming to less than 2º C, the stated objective of the accord. 

It’s difficult to imagine what this means because the dangers of climate change often feel abstract and any avoided catastrophe all the more so. But, even in the most pessimistic scenario, the Paris accord will save countless lives and avert untold hardship. If this agreement achieves what it sets out to do, it will prevent a cataclysm. There would not be enough marble in the world to memorialize the tragedy that might have been. 

Our success, however, is not guaranteed. The Paris agreement is merely the starting line. It is our duty as a nation to continue to tackle climate change, to do what’s needed to protect the poor and vulnerable. Given our historical contribution to carbon pollution, the United States has a special charge to lead on this issue. That means our elected representatives, Republicans included, must assume the mantle of responsibility. They must support the Paris accord, and they must put forward sound policies, like the Clean Power Plan, that will reduce carbon pollution and hasten the shift to clean energy, slowing climate change and strengthening our health. 

Are we up to the challenge? Undeniably. The Paris agreement shows that we have it within ourselves to put the care of vulnerable people and our common home first. It’s now up to us—all of us—to fulfill its promise. Republicans in Congress cannot remain silent on climate change. They cannot ignore the problem or suggest we are unfit for the undertaking. They must join the rest of the world and do everything in their power to put an end to global warming. Anything less would be unthinkable.

Carolan is the executive director of the Franciscan Action Network and co-founder of the Global Catholic Climate Movement.