Vatican strikes a solar deal that aims to make it the world's first carbon-neutral state
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Pope Francis last year tasked the Vatican to study developing the area into a vast solar farm, hoping to put into practice his preaching about the need to transition away from fossil fuels and find clean, carbon-neutral energy sources.
Pope Leo XIV visited the site in June and affirmed that he intended to see Francis' vision through. Leo has strongly taken up Francis' ecological mantle, recently using a new set of prayers and readings inspired by Pope Francis' environmental legacy.
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The agreement signed Thursday stipulates that the development of the site will preserve the agricultural use of the land and minimize the environmental impact on the territory, according to a Vatican statement.
Vatican officials have estimated it will cost under 100 million euros to develop the solar farm, and that once approved by Italy, the contracts to do the work can be put up for bids.
In the 1990s at the height of the controversy, residents sued Vatican Radio officials, claiming the emissions exceeded the Italian legal limit, but the court cleared the transmitter. In 2012, the Vatican announced it was cutting in half the hours of transmission from the site, not because of health concerns but because of cost-saving technological advances in internet broadcasting.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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