Pope Francis says Vatican will run on 100% renewable energy

The Vatican will become the eighth country in the world to generate 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. Pope Francis has announced plans to build a solar power plant.

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In an apostolic letter titled Fratello Sole (“Brother Sun”), Pope Francis announced that the solar project will be built on 424 hectares of land belonging to the Vatican on the outskirts of Rome, increasing the capacity of existing solar installations in the city-state.

“We must make the transition to a model of sustainable development that limits greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, with the goal of climate neutrality,” said Pope Francis.

“Humanity has the technological means to address this environmental transformation and its devastating ethical, social, economic and political consequences, and solar energy plays a fundamental role in this.”

Once this goal is achieved, the Vatican will become the smallest country in terms of area that is completely energy independent.

In May, Pope Francis stressed the urgency of the climate crisis, describing it as a “point of no return.”

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“Global warming is alarming,” he told CBS News, emphasizing the need for global action that goes beyond agreements reached at climate conferences.