Una guida per prendersi cura del nostro pianeta

This guide, a joint initiative by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Holy See's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, outlines the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and social injustice. Inspired by Pope Francis's encyclical 'Laudato si’', the document advocates for a fundamental shift from an economy of exploitation and fossil fuel dependence to one based on care, circularity, and social equity to ensure a livable planet for future generations.

• The current climate crisis is driven by economic and social systems dependent on fossil fuels, with greenhouse gas emissions from industry, transport, heating, intensive agriculture, and deforestation causing rising temperatures. This has led to more frequent droughts, storms, and floods, and it is estimated that 150 million people live on land that will be submerged during high tides by mid-century.
• Human activity has triggered a mass extinction of species and severe ecosystem degradation. Freshwater plant and animal life has decreased by 84%, and the Amazon rainforest risks becoming an arid landscape within 50 years if climate change and deforestation are not addressed. Healthy ecosystems are critical for climate regulation, water purification, and food pollination.
• Water scarcity and pollution are critical global issues, with approximately 4 billion people experiencing severe water scarcity for at least one month per year, particularly in rural areas and poor countries. Additionally, 3.6 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services, and 1.7 billion lack basic sanitation, leading to fatal diseases.
• Air pollution is a universal health risk, with 9 out of 10 people globally breathing air with high pollutant levels. Indoor air pollution, caused by burning coal, wood, and dung for cooking and heating, results in at least 3 million deaths annually, disproportionately affecting women and children.
• Industrial agriculture is described as unsustainable, contributing to roughly one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and the loss of crop varieties. While a third of food is wasted, hunger is increasing in 70 of the poorest countries. The document suggests transitioning to ecological farming and reducing meat and dairy consumption to lower environmental pressure.
• Current consumption patterns are unsustainable, with 20% of the population using 80% of global resources since 1970. Plastic pollution is a primary symptom, with over 5 trillion pieces of plastic currently in the oceans. The guide calls for a transition to a circular economy and an alternative to GDP-based economic growth.
• Environmental crises are inextricably linked to social injustice, as the poorest and most marginalized suffer the worst impacts despite contributing the least to the damage. By 2050, over 140 million people in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America may be forced to migrate due to climate change.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2023). Una guida per prendersi cura del nostro pianeta. https://www.sei.org/publications/lanostracasacomune/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Una guida per prendersi cura del nostro pianeta. 2023. https://www.sei.org/publications/lanostracasacomune/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Una guida per prendersi cura del nostro pianeta |date=14 February 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/lanostracasacomune/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2023una, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Una guida per prendersi cura del nostro pianeta}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/lanostracasacomune/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }