---
title: "Three ways Pope Francis influenced the global climate movement"
description: "At the centre of the social and ecological polycrisis is a religious crisis of the human heart."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "The Conversation"
author: "Celia Deane-Drummond"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/celia-deane-drummond/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-22-three-ways-pope-francis-influenced-the-global-climate-movement/"
published: "2025-04-22T15:00:23"
updated: "2025-04-22T18:12:27"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 1114
---

# Three ways Pope Francis influenced the global climate movement

> At the centre of the social and ecological polycrisis is a religious crisis of the human heart.

By Celia Deane-Drummond · Published 22 April 2025, 17:00 SAST · Updated 22 April 2025, 20:12 SAST

## Content

The [death](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-21-pope-francis-leaves-behind-a-legacy-of-faith-and-service-in-the-catholic-church/) of Pope Francis has been [announced by the Vatican](https://x.com/VaticanNews/status/1914226689065865254). I first met the [late Pope Francis](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/crknlnzlrzdt) at the Vatican after a conference called [Saving Our Common Home and the Future of Life on Earth](https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-07/pope-francis-laudato-si-conference-climate.html) in July 2018. My colleagues and I sensed something [momentous](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-21-pope-francis-who-shook-up-church-with-simplicity-raising-conservative-ire-has-died/) was happening at the heart of the church.

At that time, I was helping to set up the new [Laudato Si’ research institute](https://lsri.campion.ox.ac.uk/) 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](https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html).

Its mission is rooted in the pope’s religiously inspired vision of [integral ecology](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00211400231160383) – 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’](https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html), 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](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/18/guardian-view-on-laudato-si-pope-francis-cultural-revolution), he wrote. As a theologian, I recognise that he inspired significant change in three key ways.

#### **1. At global climate summits**

It’s no coincidence that Pope Francis released [Laudato Si’](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-08-21-pope-francis-to-update-landmark-document-on-world-environmental-crisis/) at a crucial moment in [2015](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-09-02-popes-message-we-have-created-a-climate-emergency-that-gravely-threatens-life-itself/) prior to the UN climate summit, Cop21, in Paris. A follow-up exhortation, or official statement, [Laudate Deum](https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20231004-laudate-deum.html), was released in October 2023, just before another UN climate summit, Cop28 in Dubai.

Did the decisions at these global meetings shift because of the influence of Pope Francis? Potentially, yes. In [Laudate Deum](https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20231004-laudate-deum.html), Pope Francis showed both encouragement and some frustration about the achievements of international agreements so far.

He berated the [weakness of international politics](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-10-04-pope-francis-lambasts-climate-change-deniers-corporations-and-politicians-warns-of-planets-breaking-point/) and believes that Cop21 represented a [“significant moment”](https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20231004-laudate-deum.html) because the agreement involved everyone.

![Former President Bill Clinton and Pope Francis have a conversation during the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting at the Hilton Midtown on September 18, 2023 in New York City. The 2023 CGI meeting will focus on ways to help address climate change, health care issues, gender-based violence, the war in Ukraine and other issues. The two day event welcomes leaders in politics, business and philanthropy to work on potential solutions to global issues. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/hdnCu0kHQh_6wDc4liwDWPlOC2Q=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GettyImages-1688881769.jpg)

*Former President Bill Clinton and Pope Francis have a conversation during the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting at the Hilton Midtown on September 18, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)*

After Cop21, he pointed out how most nations had failed to implement the Paris agreement which called for limiting the global temperature rise in this century to below 2°C. He also called out the lack of monitoring of those commitments and subsequent political inertia. He tried his best to use his prominent position to hold power to account.

Promoting a general moral awareness of the need to act in ecologically responsible ways, both in international politics and at the local level is something that previous popes, [Pope John Paul II](https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/messages/peace/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_19891208_xxiii-world-day-for-peace.html) and [Pope Benedict XVI](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jan/11/pope-failure-copenhagen) also did. But, Pope Francis’s efforts went beyond that, by connecting much more broadly with grassroots movements.

#### **2. By advocating for Indigenous people**

Cop28 marked the first time that close to [200 countries](https://www.iea.org/topics/cop28-tracking-the-energy-outcomes) agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. Pope Francis’s interventions potentially helped shift the needle just a little in the desired direction.

His emphasis on listening to Indigenous people may have influenced these gatherings. Compared with previous global climate summits, Cop28 arguably opened up the opportunity to listen to the voices of [Indigenous people](https://insightshare.org/unmasking-false-climate-solutions-indigenous-voices-at-cop28/).

![epa07902974 Pope Francis walks in procession on the occasion of the Amazon synod at the Vatican, 7 October 2019. Pope Francis opened a three-week meeting on preserving the rainforest and ministering to its native people as he fended off attacks from conservatives who are opposed to his ecological agenda.  EPA-EFE/CLAUDIO PERI](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/GAr7DMjG2JOFNuZN-RP1fKl9Pxs=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/9491058.jpg)

*Pope Francis walks in procession on the occasion of the Amazon synod at the Vatican, 7 October 2019. Pope Francis opened a three-week meeting on preserving the rainforest and ministering to its native people as he fended off attacks from conservatives who are opposed to his ecological agenda. EPA-EFE/CLAUDIO PERI*

![epa07895211 Pope Francis presides in the Vatican gardens at a celebration for the feast of St. Francis, to which the Amazon Synod is consecrated, and where a holm oak tree is planted in Assisi, at the Vatican City, 04 October 2019.  EPA-EFE/MAURIZIO BRAMBATTI](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/TTkiUFFZhY_x4XlE8ENumr3VKK4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/9461171.jpg)

*Pope Francis presides in the Vatican gardens at a celebration for the feast of St. Francis, to which the Amazon Synod is consecrated, and where a holm oak tree is planted in Assisi, at the Vatican City, 04 October 2019. EPA-EFE/MAURIZIO BRAMBATTI*

![epa06454526 Pope Francis (C) attends a meeting with indigenous people of the Amazon region in the Coliseo Regional Madre de Dios, Puerto Maldonado, Peru, 19 January 2018. Pope Francis is in Peru until 22 January.  EPA-EFE/LUCA ZENNARO](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/L85SA1OqQ3I76qx5bd9wE9laKYU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/6797451.jpg)

*Pope Francis (C) attends a meeting with indigenous people of the Amazon region in the Coliseo Regional Madre de Dios, Puerto Maldonado, Peru, 19 January 2018. Pope Francis is in Peru until 22 January. EPA-EFE/LUCA ZENNARO*

However, Indigenous people were still [disappointed by the outcomes](https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/little-achieved-for-indigenous-groups-at-u-n-climate-summit-delegates-say/) of Cop28. Pope Francis’s lesser-known exhortation [Querida Amazonia](https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20200202_querida-amazonia.html), which means “beloved Amazonia”, was published in February 2020.

This exhortation resulted from his conversations with Amazonian communities and helped put Indigenous perspectives on the map. Those perspectives helped shape Catholic social teaching in the encyclical [Fratelli Tutti](https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html), which means “all brothers and sisters”, published on October 3 2020.

For many people living in developing countries where extractive industries such as oil and gas or mining are rife, destruction of land coincides with [direct threats to life](https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/in-solidarity-with-the-earth-9780567706096/). Pope Francis advocated for Indigenous environmental defenders, many of whom have been inspired to act [by their strong faith](https://youtu.be/W0NGm1Ebb-o).

For example, Father Marcelo Pérez, an Indigenous priest living in Mexico, was murdered by drug dealers just [after saying mass](https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/killing-indigenous-priest-marcelo-perez-perez) on October 23 2023 as part of the cost of defending the rights of his people and their land.

While 196 environmental defenders were killed globally in [2023](https://globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/more-than-2100-land-and-environmental-defenders-killed-globally-between-2012-and-2023/), Pope Francis continued to advocate on behalf of the most marginalised people as well as [the environment](https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/cura-creato/documents/20230513-messaggio-giornata-curacreato.html).

#### **3. By inspiring activism**

I’ve been speaking to religious climate activists from different church backgrounds in the UK as part of a multidisciplinary research [project](https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/projects/religion-theology-and-climate-change) on religion, theology and climate change based at the University of Manchester. Most notably, when we asked more than 300 activists representing six different activist groups who most influenced them to get involved in climate action, 61% named Pope Francis as a key influencer.

On a larger scale, Laudato Si’ gave rise to the [Laudato Si’ movement](https://laudatosimovement.org/) which coordinates climate activism across the globe. It has 900 Catholic organisations as well as 10,000 of what are known as Laudato Si’ “animators”, who are all ambassadors and leaders in their respective communities.

Our institute’s ecclesial affiliate, [Tomás Insua](https://lsri.campion.ox.ac.uk/people/tomas-insua), based in Assisi, Italy, originally helped pioneer this global Laudato Si’ movement. We host a number of [ecumenical gatherings](https://www.campion.ox.ac.uk/news/lsri-organises-major-ecumenical-event-assisi) which bring together people from different denominations and hopefully motivate churchgoers to think and act in a more climate-conscious way.

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. **DM**

[Media](https://counter.theconversation.com/content/251430/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced)

[*This story was first published in*The Conversation](https://theconversation.com/three-ways-pope-francis-influenced-the-global-climate-movement-251430)*. Celia Deane-Drummond is a Professor of Theology and Director of Laudato Si' Research Institute at Campion Hall, University of Oxford.*