Pope tells leaders of global energy industry to care for the poor and the environment
In a globalized world in search of new sources of energy, over one billion people do not have electricity. Yet the poor are the first victims of global warming. "Clean energy" and "energy for all", together with respect for the environment: the proposal of Pope Francis to the Symposium on "Energy transition and care for our common home".
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - To be at the service of "two great needs of today's world: the poor and the environment", practicing a "leadership" that is "in favor of the human family" and capable of "daring imagination". This is the invitation that Pope Francis addressed to several executives of the oil, natural gas and other energy-related business activities gathered in the Clementine Hall this morning. The meeting concluded a two-day symposium promoted by the Dicastery for Integral human development and the University of Notre Dame - Mendoza College of Business, in Notre Dame, Indiana (U.S.A.) The theme of the symposium was "Transition energy and care of our Common Home ", which addressed themes on the new energy sources and ecological issues dear to Francis, and developed in the encyclical "Laudato si'".
The pontiff outlined the values of globalization ("our societies are increasingly interconnected"), but also the risks that the "thirst" for energy produces: division between rich and poor, conflicts, environmental imbalances. We need to find "clean energy", "energy for all", respecting nature.
After noting the failure of the Paris climate agreement, Francis called for "corporate responsibility" and "ethical reasons for moving towards global energy transition with a sense of urgency".
The urgency is primarily due to the fact that there are still more than a billion people in the world without electricity. At the same time, due to climate change, "it is the poor who suffer most from the ravages of global warming, with increasing disruption in the agricultural sector, water insecurity, and exposure to severe weather events".
He stated : "The transition to accessible and clean energy is a duty that we owe towards millions of our brothers and sisters around the world, poorer countries and generations yet to come".
For the full text of Pope Francis' address, click here.
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01/02/2022 15:09
04/12/2019 10:21
