Vatican City is hosting the summit on climate change. Alongside Pope Francis, representatives of other religions and scientists from around the world will take part to discuss the environment.
Ahead of the publication of the papal encyclical on the environment, scheduled for summer 2015, Pope Francis convened today, 28 April, the international summit "Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity: The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Development", with the aim of encouraging participation in the debate on the moral dimension of environmental protection.
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The environment is a subject close to Pope Francis's heart; as far back as 2013, following in the footsteps of his predecessor Benedict XVI, he had preached the importance of protecting nature. Today, two years on, the Pope convened a summit in Vatican City focused on engaging the governments of industrialised countries on environmental issues and on the need to enact national legislation to reduce the emissions driving global warming.
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The Vatican spokesperson announced that the summit will focus on the relationships between poverty, economic development and climate change, "the intrinsic link between respect for the environment and respect for people". Ahead of Cop 21, the Paris climate conference, Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took part in the conference to support Pope Francis's choices in drafting the encyclical on the environment.
The head of the Catholic Church has proclaimed the fight against climate change an "essential act of faith". The destruction of nature, the Pope declared, is the modern mortal sin.
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Following Cop 20, the Lima climate conference, at which Latin American states refused to implement climate policies on the grounds of supporting the development of their weak and polluting local economies, it is clear how necessary it is to arrive at the Paris conference with strong engagement from all industrialised countries.
Even before Cop 21, in the United States in September 2015 the Pope's popularity among lobbyists and members of Congress will not be enough. During diplomatic negotiations and legislative assemblies, Pope Francis will have to rely solely on an international coalition united around environmental issues.