The Vatican goes green: Pope announces new solar plant to power Vatican City
Pope Francis waves during his weekly general audience in the St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, June 26, 2024.
Pope Francis has renewables on his mind as he says he wants Vatican City to run on solar power.
To achieve his aim, solar panels will be installed on a Vatican-owned property outside Rome. The power generated could supply all of Vatican City's energy needs.
In an apostolic letter issued "motu proprio," on his own initiative, the Pope said: “It is necessary to transition to a sustainable development model that reduces greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, aiming for climate neutrality,”
The letter, titled "Brother Sun," was dated 21 June, the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. The Vatican published the letter yesterday (26 June).
What are Pope Francis's guidelines?
The construction will take place on Vatican property approximately 11 miles from Rome, in the area of Santa Maria di Galeria. The property is currently used for broadcasting Vatican Radio.
The system will combine renewable electricity production with the needs of the underlying agricultural land.
For the construction, the Pope has given two special commissioners full authority to run the project.
The Pope has a long standing commitment to the environment
In his letter, the pontiff went on to say: “Humanity possesses the technological means to tackle this environmental transformation and its pernicious ethical, social, economic, and political consequences, with solar energy playing a fundamental role among these solutions.”
Pope Francis stated his position on the climate crisis back in 2015, when he said he would "renew the dialogue" on how we are "building the future of the planet."
"There is a strong scientific consensus indicating a troubling warming of the climate system. In recent decades, this warming has been accompanied by a steady rise in sea levels and an increase in extreme weather events," the Pope wrote in a letter named Laudato Si’ in May 2015.
In July 2022, things were formalised when the Vatican joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a global agreement among nations to address "dangerous human interference with the climate system."