Pope Francis has unveiled a plan to transition Vatican City to solar energy as its primary source of electricity in his latest motu proprio “Fratello Sole” or “Brother Sun.”
The Holy Father has directed the construction of an agrivoltaic system on Vatican-owned land in Santa Maria di Galeria, located just outside Rome. 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 agrivoltaic system will serve dual purposes: generating solar power while maintaining agricultural use of the land. Pope Francis emphasized that “humanity possesses the necessary technological means to face this environmental transformation and its harmful ethical, social, economic, and political consequences, and among these, solar energy plays a fundamental role.”
This initiative is part of the Vatican’s ongoing efforts to combat climate change and promote sustainability. Pope Francis said the Vatican is committed to “contribute to the efforts of all states” to address climate change challenges.
The new plant aims to provide 100% of the energy for the Vatican City State.
The Vatican’s global emissions were less than 0.0001% in 2022.
Photo credit: Todor Stoyanov / Shutterstock.com
