Environmental justice

As we reflect on the tenure of Pope Francis, there is one aspect of his legacy that should not be overlooked: his commitment to environmental justice.

Shortly after his appointment in March 2013, climate change became a central issue, stating, “If we destroy creation, creation will destroy us.” This was a year before the Paris Climate Agreement was adopted.

In 2019, he addressed leaders of global fossil fuel companies, imploring them to make a rapid transition to renewable energy sources, going so far as to declare this a “climate emergency.” He made it clear that this is not merely an environmental crisis.

In the words of Mark Watts, Director of C40 Cities, “he established for a worldwide audience that the climate crisis is not just an environmental challenge but a profound social and ethical issue, exacerbated by greed and short-term profit seeking, disproportionately affecting the world’s most marginalized communities.”

Luke Daniels

Rochester