March 26, 2013  

 

Dear Clients, Friends and Colleagues,

 

Over the past few weeks, the world has borne witness to the spectacle, intrigue and drama of the ascendance of the newly inaugurated Pope Francis. Much has been written about Pope Francis, and his namesake Saint Francis, and their mutual devotion to the poor.  

 

But I am wondering if Pope Francis shares Saint Francis' devotion to the environment. Named Patron of Ecology and considered by some to be the patron saint of the environment, Saint Francis' love and care for creation was said (by Pope John Paul II in 1982) to be a reminder "not to behave like dissident predators where nature is concerned but to assume responsibility for it, taking all care so that everything stays healthy and integrated, so as to offer a welcoming and friendly environment even to those who succeed us."  

 

If Pope Francis does share Saint Francis' devotion to the environment, he is now in a unique position to make a significant difference when it comes to global climate change mitigation and preserving our environment for future generations. Putting religious theology and sentimentality aside, here's my message to Pope Francis:   

 

A Message to Pope Francis

 

As the leader of a multibillion-dollar organization whose operations and land holdings cover the globe and rival those of any other organization in size, scope and breadth, it is essential that you commit the Catholic Church to take meaningful, disciplined action to combat climate change on a global basis. This commitment must be to transparently measure the Church's global carbon footprint and reduce it by a specific amount within a specific period of time. This will invite ongoing public scrutiny, entail ongoing public accountability and require significant financial and organizational support in order to achieve meaningful results. In essence, strong leadership is a prerequisite. Every day that goes by without this commitment is a waste of a virtually unparalleled opportunity to preserve our environment for future generations.    

While I agree with the intent of the existing Catholic Climate Change Covenant, a voluntary pledge that Church-related organizations and individuals can make to pray, learn, assess, act and advocate for climate change solutions, it has no teeth. A voluntary pledge is one thing, a directive from the Pope accompanied by the features I describe above is quite another.   

 

When I consider the Church's vast real estate holdings, which house operations that are estimated to cost $170 billion annually to run and are said by some to be the largest in the world (the Vatican alone covers 108 acres), and that the built environment accounts for some 40% of the world's carbon emissions, I know that a meaningful effort by the Church to reduce those emissions will make a real difference. I hope Pope Francis will lead that effort. 

 

Let me know what you think Pope Francis should do when it comes to climate change. After all, his chosen namesake was an environmental champion. 

 

Warmly,
Ellen Sinreich Signature 
Ellen Sinreich
President

greenedgellc.com

[email protected]

212 317 1131 

 

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