Pope Leo XIV On Climate, Leadership On Justice And Sustainability

Forbes

20-05-2025

Pope Leo XIV on climate – from solar panels to social justice, the Vatican's new leader is expected to pick up Pope Francis's 'green' mantle. When white smoke rose above St. Peter's Basilica earlier this month, one of the first questions on environmental advocates mind was whether he would continue to champion for the causes his predecessor had. As it turns out Pope Leo XIV, formerly Father Bob Prevost, made his ideas about the environment and justice clear in his first homily as Pontiff. 'In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference and an economic paradigm that exploits the earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest,' the pope said . Later, he called for a 'unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people.'
Pope Leo has taken bold positions in his first days, particularly on climate change, clean energy, and environmental justice. He is building on the moral and theological foundation laid out in Laudato Si', the landmark 2015 encyclical that made care for creation a core issue of Catholic social teaching.
Pope Francis's Laudato Si', subtitled 'On Care for Our Common Home,' was a groundbreaking text that wove environmental concern into the fabric of Catholic theology. It introduced the concept of integral ecology. This is a view of the world where social, environmental, and economic issues are interdependent and must be addressed together. His thinking made its way into global climate negotiations and was cited in multiple UN climate documents. Because the book and the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals came out at the same time, they are viewed as complementary to one another. Their similarities have been discussed in many fora and Pope Francis spoke on the theme of a 'common home' in his addresses to the UN in 2015 and 2024.
Pope Leo XIV has made clear that Laudato Si' remains the foundation for his papacy's approach to environmental stewardship. 'We cannot separate our treatment of the Earth from our treatment of the poor,' he said in a recent Vatican address. 'They suffer together when we choose exploitation over responsibility.' In speeches and interviews, Leo XIV has raised concern over the unchecked growth of technological development and market-driven environmental harm. He warns that profit motives, when left unregulated, often drive decisions that damage creation and deepen inequality. Pope Leo is not necessarily dismissing science or innovation. He has also noted the benefits to humanity that technology and innovation can bring. Instead, he is say that their development be 'disciplined by justice, guided by wisdom, and tethered to the common good.' This line of critique echoes catholic teaching, but also aligns with secular calls for stronger climate regulation, sustainable tech design, and corporate accountability.
One of his first acts as pope was to declare that the world is in a 'global climate emergency,' urging leaders to 'move from words to action.' He has pressed fossil fuel companies to transition their portfolios and publicly endorsed clean energy investment.
In his own backyard, the Vatican is leading by example. The City-State has expanded its use of solar power, added electric vehicles to its fleet—including the first all-electric Popemobile—and recommitted to becoming carbon-neutral. These changes build on Pope Francis's early green Vatican initiatives but go further in implementation. 'Symbolism is not enough,' Leo said in a pre-election speech. 'To be stewards of the Earth, we must be accountable in our choices—starting with our own.'
Pope Leo XIV has been careful to avoid framing environmental protection as dominion. Instead, he advocates a 'relationship of reciprocity' with the natural world. Quoting Genesis, he often reminds audiences that dominion over creation does not mean exploitation—it means care and responsibility.
This is a subtle but significant shift. In Catholic Social Thought, humans are stewards of creation, tasked with preserving it not just for future generations but as a reflection of divine order and justice. Pope Leo emphasizes that this must be an active stewardship, or what some might call climate leadership rooted in moral responsibility rather than political pressure.
His critics within and outside the Church might see this as overreach. One side may be concerned his reach into secular territory. Others may react to policy and legal imperatives coming from the Catholic Church. For Pope Leo, this is about a simple truth: 'The Earth is not ours to waste." According to former parishioners and other speeches from the new pope, the Church's new leader sees no daylight between environmental degradation and inequality. Pollution, water scarcity, and climate-driven disasters disproportionately affect the poor. As such, Pope Leo has spoken out about the moral imperative to link environmental policy with anti-poverty measures.
This holistic approach aligns closely with today's global environmental justice movement, which centers the needs and experiences of frontline communities. By rooting these goals in Catholic theology, Pope Leo offers a powerful bridge between faith traditions and modern environmental advocacy. His message is already resonating across those schools of thought. As one commentator put it in Bloomberg Opinion: 'Pope Leo XIV might be the climate champion we need—someone who speaks in moral absolutes about a crisis that has, for too long, been debated in economic half-measures.
Pope Leo XIV on climate is expected to be a continuing theme in international climate dialogues, much like his predecessor addressed the UN General Assembly and COP21 in Paris. Already, Vatican officials suggest he will be a key moral voice at COP30 in Brazil, particularly on the topics of climate finance, land rights, and biodiversity protection. With the Vatican's unique status as both a religious and political entity, Leo has the ability to shape conversations across sectors, appealing not just to world leaders but to the 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide—and many more who view the Church as a moral compass. As the world barrels toward COP30 and other critical inflection points, Pope Leo XIV's message is clear: climate change is not only a scientific or political issue—it is a spiritual crisis, demanding a faithful, urgent, and just response.