The Vatican City — In a historic move, Vatican City will become the world’s eighth country to use entirely renewable energy. This achievement comes as Pope Francis inaugurates a new solar power plant, reaffirming the Vatican’s commitment to climate neutrality and sustainability.
Pope Francis has been an outspoken advocate for environmental stewardship, highlighting the ethical and social components of combating climate change. In his apostolic letter *Fratello Sole* (Brother Sun), Pope Francis disclosed a comprehensive project to build a solar farm on 424 hectares of Vatican-owned land near Rome. This project will update the city-state’s current solar systems, resulting in complete energy independence.
“We need to make a transition towards a sustainable development model that reduces greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, setting the objective of climate neutrality,” the pontiff added. “Humanity has the technological means necessary to face this environmental transformation and its pernicious ethical, social, economic, and political consequences, and solar energy plays a fundamental role.”
After completion, the Vatican will join a limited club of countries, including Albania, Bhutan, Nepal, Paraguay, Ethiopia, Iceland, and Congo, that generate more than 99.7% of their electricity from renewable sources. According to Stanford University Professor Mark Z. Jacobson, 40 other countries get at least half of their electricity from renewable sources such as geothermal, hydro, solar, and wind.
“We don’t need miracle technologies,” said Professor Jacobson to *The Independent* in April. “We need to stop emissions by electrifying everything and providing the electricity with Wind, Water, and Solar (WWS), which includes onshore wind, solar photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, geothermal electricity, small hydroelectricity, and large hydroelectricity.”
Pope Francis has prioritised environmental sustainability during his papacy. In 2015, he called human-caused climate change a serious threat to the planet’s future. The Vatican’s commitment to sustainability was bolstered in 2022 when it signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which aims to combat “dangerous human interference with the climate system.”
Pope Francis said in May that we had reached “the point of no return” in the climate catastrophe. “Global warming is alarming,” he said in an interview with CBS News, highlighting the significance of sustained global action that goes beyond token commitments and signatures at climate conferences.
This ambitious solar project not only helps the Vatican achieve energy independence, but it also serves as a striking symbol of its commitment to leading by example in the global battle against climate change. By promoting sustainability throughout its activities and raising environmental awareness, Vatican City hopes to persuade other countries to prioritise renewable energy and sustainable practices.
As the world faces unprecedented environmental challenges, the Vatican’s initiative highlights the crucial role of renewable energy in achieving climate goals and protecting the planet for future generations.