Notre maison commune

This guide, a joint initiative by the Holy See and the Stockholm Environment Institute, synthesizes current data on the ecological crisis to stimulate action and debate. Inspired by Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato si’, it addresses the interconnectedness of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and social injustice, calling for a fundamental transformation of economic and social systems.

• The current climate crisis is driven by economic and social systems reliant on fossil fuels. To prevent the most disastrous consequences and limit temperature increases to 1.5 °C, a complete overhaul of economies and societies is required, including ending deforestation, transitioning to clean energy, and changing food production and consumption patterns.
• Biodiversity is in a state of crisis, with wild species decreasing by two-thirds since 1970 and freshwater plant and animal life dropping by 84%. The Amazon rainforest faces a potential transition to a dry landscape within 50 years if no action is taken. Protecting habitats and strengthening the land rights of local and indigenous populations are presented as essential solutions.
• Water scarcity and pollution are critical global challenges. Approximately 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month annually, and 3.6 billion people lack safely managed sanitation. The document warns that by 2025, two-thirds of the population could lack water.
• Air pollution causes over 4 million deaths annually, with at least 3 million of those occurring due to indoor air pollution from cooking and heating with coal, wood, or dung. This disproportionately affects the poor, women, and children, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
• Industrial agriculture has caused devastating environmental and social effects, contributing to approximately one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and the loss of crop varieties. While intensive methods initially increased yields, they are no longer viable due to soil erosion and biodiversity loss. Transitioning to ecological farming and reducing meat and dairy consumption are proposed as solutions.
• Current consumption patterns, especially among the wealthiest 20% who use 80% of global resources, are unsustainable. Plastic pollution is a primary symptom, with 12 million tonnes of plastic entering oceans annually and over 5,000 billion pieces of plastic currently floating in the seas. By 2050, three planets would be needed to maintain current lifestyles.
• Environmental crises are inextricably linked to social injustice, as those least responsible for the damage suffer the most. Climate impacts may force over 140 million people in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia to migrate by 2050. A 'just transition' is necessary to provide security for those displaced by the move away from fossil fuels.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2023). Notre maison commune. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/vatican-sei-v10-20231205-fr.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Notre maison commune. 2023. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/vatican-sei-v10-20231205-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Notre maison commune |date=14 February 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/vatican-sei-v10-20231205-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2023notre, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Notre maison commune}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/vatican-sei-v10-20231205-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }