Pope unveils green initiative, says ‘predatory attitude’ toward planet must end

Pope Francis on Tuesday unveiled a green initiative called the Laudato Si Action, and said that the world’s “predatory attitude” towards the planet must end.

Cardinal Peter Turkson, head of the Vatican’s development office, announced the initiative at a news conference, Reuters reported.

“Our predatory attitude, which makes us feel that we are masters of the planet and its resources, and authorizes us to make irresponsible use of the goods God has given us,” the pope says in a video for the launch.

The initiative is a “seven-year journey that will see our communities committed in different ways to becoming totally sustainable, in the spirit of integral ecology,” according to Pope Francis.

The platform’s goals are to protect the environment and the poor from climate change.

Turkson said at the Tuesday news conference that the pope has been invited to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November and will likely attend, according to Reuters.

The Vatican works to be environmentally friendly by recycling most of its trash, getting rid of almost all single-use plastic and making its own compost for the gardens, Reuters noted.

This is not the pope’s first time speaking out for the environment. 

“We do not have the luxury of waiting for others to step forward or of prioritizing short-term economic benefits. The climate crisis requires our decisive action, here and now,” Pope Francis said in 2020 after calling on Catholics to divest from fossil fuels.