Pope Leo Calls for Multilateral Action on Climate Change at COP30

Pope Leo XIV called on global leaders at COP30 to intensify efforts to meet climate commitments, warning that the world is approaching a narrowing window to limit global warming to 1.5°C. In a video message delivered on Nov. 17 to bishops gathered in Belem, Brazil, the Pope urged renewed resolve backed by concrete actions and highlighted the particular vulnerability of communities in the Global South. The Chicago-born pontiff provided a rare American voice at the climate talks, amid President Donald Trump’s decision not to send a US delegation for the first time in COP history. 

“You chose hope and action over despair, building a global community that works together,” Pope Leo said in remarks to bishops meeting at the Museu das Amazônias. While acknowledging that progress has been made, he said it is “not enough,” stressing that determination must translate into implementation. “Creation is crying out in floods, droughts, storms and relentless heat. One in three people live in great vulnerability because of these climate changes,” he warned.

Pope Leo underscored that for the most affected populations, climate change “is not a distant threat,” and ignoring their experience “is to deny our shared humanity.” He said there is still time to restrict global temperature rise but called for action “with faith and prophecy, to protect the gift” entrusted to humanity.

The pontiff described the Paris Agreement as “our strongest tool for protecting people and the planet,” but said the gap lies in political will. “It is not the Agreement that is failing, we are failing in our response,” he said. Stronger climate policies, he added, are investments in a more stable global economy. He urged COP30 participants to send a signal of “unwavering solidarity behind the Paris Agreement and behind climate cooperation,” calling the Amazon venue a symbol of choosing cooperation “over division and denial.”

As he concluded his message, Pope Leo acknowledged the ongoing efforts of scientists, leaders and faith communities around the world, emphasizing the shared responsibility to protect the planet. “We are guardians of creation, not rivals for its spoils,” he said.

Following the video message, cardinals from the Global South presented a fishing net woven by Indigenous communities, symbolizing unity and continuity with commitments made during the 2019 Synod for the Amazon.

As the political phase of COP30 began the following day. Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro, head of the Vatican delegation and Apostolic Nuncio to Brazil, reiterated the Holy See’s key climate priorities, including “cohesive and forward-looking multilateralism.” According to Diquattro, “climate change knows no borders, and therefore demands collective efforts that prevail over local or contingent interests.” 

He also referenced Pope Francis I’s call in Laudate Deum—his 2023 apostolic exhortation—to gradually phase-out of fossil fuels. The Vatican supports the transition, he said, as long as it is equitable and recognizes that the poorest populations bear the greatest burden of climate impacts. The Archbishop further highlighted the disproportionate vulnerability of women and girls—particularly in the Global South—and called for stronger recognition of their role in climate action under the UN Gender Action Plan. 

For Diquattro, education is a structural requirement for achieving climate goals. “We cannot achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement unless political and technical solutions are accompanied by an educational process that proposes new, sustainable ways of living,” he said. Education, he added, is necessary for meeting mitigation targets, addressing adaptation challenges, strengthening means of implementation and preventing loss and damage.

Diquattro noted encouraging signals from countries that included education-related components in their updated national climate plans submitted at Belem. Concluding his address, he referenced Pope Leo’s call for an “ecological conversion,” saying that only by “returning to the heart” can societies build the cultural and moral conditions needed for long-term climate action.

“We cannot love God…while despising his creatures.”

The Holy See’s active participation at COP30 comes two months after Pope Leo held a conference marking the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on the relationship between humanity and the environment. In his first major climate speech since his election in May, Leo echoed the concerns of his predecessor, who used his encyclical to critique consumerism, urge a shift toward sustainable development, and call on governments, industries, and individuals to take collective responsibility for protecting the Earth. 

According to Pope Leo, “everyone in society, through non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups, must put pressure on governments to develop and implement more rigorous regulations, procedures and controls,” he said. He noted that the Vatican would be an active participant in this process, pointing to the opening of a new ecological center at the Castel Gandolfo residence.

The Pope also tied his remarks to the broader moral framework laid out in Laudato Si’, which linked environmental degradation to poverty and urged Catholics to view stewardship as a core responsibility. Leo emphasized that long-term progress depends on behavioral and cultural shifts: “We cannot love God, whom we cannot see, while despising his creatures.” He cited Laudate Deum, which noted that “some have chosen to deride” scientific evidence of climate change and “ridicule those who speak of global warming.”

The pontiff closed with a warning that future generations will judge today’s choices. “God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that he created for the benefit of all and for future generations, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters,” he said. “What will be our answer?”