As bishop and cardinal, Robert Prevost expressed, at various times, his commitment to climate change and its impacts. Now as Pope León XIV, many faithful and environmental activists hope he maintains and reaffirms his commitment.
“The planet needs us”, he posted on November 7, 2015, on his Twitter account (X), the social network where he was most active. That day he joined a citizen mobilization with an environmental tone held in Chiclayo, a city in the north of Peru where he served as bishop for a decade.
In the photo accompanying the post, the protesters carry signs with quotes from the Laudato Sí Encyclical, a text where Pope Francis I urged the population to “take care of our common home”.
Committed to climate change
Months later, he signed the Catholic climate petition – an initiative of the Global Catholic Climate Movement – urging world leaders to commit to the Paris Agreement and promote clean energy plans.
In 2017, Chiclayo was one of the areas most affected by the El Niño phenomenon. The population suffered floods and river overflows in much of its territory. Prevost led a campaign to support the victims. He himself went with his boots to work on debris removal and rescue operations. He did the same in 2023 when the cyclone Yaku hit the area. The then bishop was very critical of the local authorities for the lack of prevention against increasingly frequent and intense climatic events.
“It is not the first time there have been rains of this kind and the prevention has not been good, the lack of response is very serious,” he said.
A spokesperson concerned about nature
In November 2024, Cardinal Prevost – then president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops – committed to the environment participated in a seminar that brought together cardinals to discuss the impacts of climate change on the world’s most vulnerable populations.
“It is time to move from words to action,” said today’s Pope XIV referring to the environmental crisis at that meeting held in Rome.
Facing other heads of ecclesiastical power, he highlighted the Vatican’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint through the installation of solar panels and the incorporation of electric vehicles.
In this meeting, Prevost also emphasized the need for the Church’s involvement in the fight against climate change. “Humans must establish a reciprocal relationship with the environment, instead of a tyrannical one,” he stated.
Lorna Gold, executive director of the Laudato Sí Movement, described the new Supreme Pontiff as “a man who defends unity, peace, and action for our planet.”
Looking ahead to the next United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), executive director Ana Toni expects León XIV to be a voice that helps raise awareness of the global warming issue.
“I hope that Pope León XIV, committed to climate change, will be the inspiring leader of peace and solidarity that we need in these difficult times, and that he will expand the efforts of the Catholic Church to address the climate crisis, urging the faithful, governments, and leaders around the world to come together and protect life on our wonderful planet,” Toni stated in a press release.
