Pope Francis' environmental efforts
Pope Francis has made addressing the global climate crisis a key moral priority of his papacy. Significant environmental initiatives include the publication of the first papal encyclical on the subject, Laudato Si' (2015). As Carbon Brief observed, this presented global warming as a moral issue connected to poverty.
The Pope combined science and faith to declare environmental destruction a structural sin. He has also held Vatican meetings with oil executives and world leaders, urging them to urgently transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
In 2023, he released the follow-up document Laudate Deum, in which he warned that global responses remain insufficient and that the planet is nearing a breaking point.
Laudate Deum is an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis. Published on 4 October 2023 (the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi), it is a follow-up to his 2015 encyclical 'Laudato Si'. Addressed to all people of goodwill, it addresses the global climate crisis.
The core message is the urgent need to address climate change. Pope Francis states that the effects of climate change are already evident, yet our global responses remain completely inadequate.
He also criticises the unbridled ambition to exploit nature as an inexhaustible resource. He highlights the weakness of global climate negotiations and calls for effective, legally binding international agreements.
The title 'Laudato Si' serves as a reminder that humans become their own worst enemies when they try to take God's place.
Gedun Tharchin Lharampa Geshe
Rome
