Three ways Pope Francis influenced global climate movement

Nobody knows who the next Pope might be. Given the current turmoil in politics and shutting down of political will to address the climate emergency, we can only hope they will build on the legacy of Pope Francis and influence political change for the good, from the grassroots frontline right up to the highest global ambitions.

- BY CELIA DEANE-DRUMMOND Professor of Theology, Director of Laudato Si' Research Institute, Campion Hall, University of Oxford

The death of Pope Francis has been announced by the Vatican. I first met the late Pope Francis at the Vatican after a conference called Saving Our Common Home and the Future of Life on Earth in July 2018. My colleagues and I sensed something momentous was happening at the heart of the church.

At that time, I was helping to set up the new Laudato Si' research institute at the Jesuit Hall at the University of Oxford. This institute is named after the Pope's 2015 encyclical (a letter to bishops outlining church policy) on climate change.

Its mission is rooted in the Pope's religiously inspired vision of integral ecology a multidisciplinary approach that addresses social and ecological issues of equality and climate breakdown.

Originating from Argentina, Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, witnessed firsthand the destruction of the Amazon and the plight of South America's poorest communities. His concern for justice for vulnerable communities and protection of the planet go hand in hand with his religious leadership.

In his first papal letter, Laudato Si', he called for all people, not just Catholics, to pay more attention to the frailty of both our planet and its people. What we need is no less than a cultural revolution, he wrote. As a theologian, I recognise that he inspired a significant change in three key ways.

1. At global climate summits

It's no coincidence that Pope Francis released Laudato Si' at a crucial moment in 2015, prior to the UN climate summit, Cop21, in Paris. A follow-up exhortation, or official statement, Laudate Deum, was released in October 2023, just before another UN climate summit, Cop28 in Dubai.

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