“Climate change is a problem [that] can no longer be left to a future generation [to solve],” Pope Francis said. “We are living at a critical moment of history.”
“We still have time to make the change needed to bring about sustainable and integral development,” he added.
Pope Francis’ statement flies in the face of many US Republicans, including several presidential candidates, who deny the scientific evidence supporting climate change and the moral urgency to take swift action.
In June, in a 184-page encyclical called "Laudato Si" (Be Praised), the pope сited scientific studies, saying the planet was facing an "alarming warming" that threatened humanity and the environment.
In the encyclical, the pontiff aslo called for an urgent reduction of global carbon emissions and encouraged the use of renewable energy sources.
