Pope Francis Calls Climate Crisis a Matter of Justice

Pope Francis addressed 140 members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace on September 24, 2026. He spoke during a public audience in the Casina Pio IV within the Vatican, where participants gathered for a symposium titled "The Future of Science in a Changing World," following a two‑day workshop on development and progress. The Pope emphasized that scientific advancement must be guided by responsibility, humility, and dialogue, stating that technology carries risks such as surveillance, manipulation, bias, and autonomous weapons that can threaten peace if not properly regulated.

He highlighted the high energy and water consumption of current artificial intelligence systems, noting their impact on carbon emissions and natural resources. The pontiff linked climate change to social justice, asserting that the struggle to protect the environment is inseparable from the struggle for human dignity and solidarity across generations. He urged policymakers to recognize that the most vulnerable populations bear the greatest burden of climate impacts. In his encyclical "Laudato Si," the Pope repeatedly stresses that justice must drive every decision affecting creation, calling for a shift from reactive emergency responses to proactive preparedness.

He advocated for interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists, youth, leaders, and representatives of diverse religious traditions, urging the cultivation of a scientific culture that is ambitious yet humble, rigorous yet open to dialogue, innovative yet responsible, globally unified, and inclusive of those most at risk. The Pope concluded with a prayer that scientific cooperation, framed as a public good in service of peace, would safeguard human dignity and promote the common good.