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Pope Leo XIV has issued a strong rebuke against those who downplay the “increasingly evident” consequences of rising global temperatures, marking his first major address on climate change.
Echoing the sentiments of his predecessor, Pope Francis, the new Pontiff criticized individuals who “ridicule those who speak of global warming.”
The Pope’s remarks, delivered during a speech in Castel Gondolfo near Rome, are widely interpreted as a veiled critique of US President Donald Trump, who recently dismissed climate change as a “con.”
Pope Leo also urged greater global action on climate change, emphasizing that there is no room for indifference or resignation.
The Pope’s address took place at a conference commemorating the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’.
That landmark document, authored by Pope Francis, elevated climate change to a central concern for the Church.
Many attribute its influence to helping shape the consensus that led to the Paris climate agreement in 2015.
However, the new Pope, who assumed office in May, expressed concern that the issue of climate change is becoming increasingly divisive.
Referencing his predecessor’s writings, he stated that: “Some have chosen to deride the increasingly evident signs of climate change, to ridicule those who speak of global warming, and even to blame the poor for the very thing that affects them the most.”
Just two weeks prior, at the UN General Assembly in New York, US President Donald Trump criticized the climate movement, calling it the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” and rejected the use of renewable energy.
“The carbon footprint is a hoax made up by people with evil intentions, and they’re heading down a path of total destruction,” the President asserted.
Pope Leo, the first US-born pontiff, has previously clashed with the Trump administration on issues such as migration and national security.
In his recent address, the Pope called for increased pressure on politicians from citizens worldwide.
He emphasized the need for citizens to actively participate in political decisions, stating that “only then will it be possible to mitigate the damage done to the environment.”
The Pope suggested that each individual will be held accountable by God.
“God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that he created for the benefit of all and for future generations, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters. What will be our answer, my dear friends?” he posed.
The Raising Hope conference preceded the commencement of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, by just over a month.
World leaders and climate diplomats will convene in the Amazonian city amidst concerns that efforts to curb rising emissions of planet-warming gases have been relegated on the political agenda.
Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva extended an invitation to the Pope to attend COP30 on behalf of President Lula.
“I am convinced in this way His Holiness will make an indispensable contribution so that COP30 may go down in history as the great moment of implementation,” she stated.
Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also addressed the meeting, lauding the Pope as a real-world “action hero” for his commitment to installing solar panels on all Vatican buildings.
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Ministers say the revised plan promises better outcomes and value for money.
The UK is “shockingly underprepared” for the impact of climate change on weather, a report says.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust is to begin a temperate rainforest restoration project at its 150-acre site near Looe.
Paddy fields are thriving in a quiet part of east England and might help feed us in the future.
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