vatican-sei-v10-20231205-it-d57ca361a0b2f1aa.pdf

This guide, a joint initiative by the Holy See and the Stockholm Environment Institute, provides a framework for environmental stewardship inspired by Pope Francis's encyclical 'Laudato si’'. It outlines the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, arguing that these are rooted in excessive consumption and fossil-fuel-based economic models. The document calls for a fundamental transformation of societal behaviors and economies to ensure social justice and the survival of the planet.

• The climate crisis is driven by economic and social systems reliant on fossil fuels, with the burning of coal and oil for industry, transport, and heating serving as the primary cause of global warming. To prevent the most dangerous consequences, the document emphasizes the need for a complete conversion to clean energy and the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions, noting that the next decade is decisive.
• Global biodiversity is in a state of collapse, with wildlife populations decreasing by two-thirds since 1970 and freshwater plant and animal life dropping by 84%. The guide warns that without action on climate and deforestation, the Amazon rainforest could become an arid landscape within 50 years.
• Water scarcity is a critical global challenge, with approximately 4 billion people experiencing severe water scarcity for at least one month per year. By 2025, two-thirds of the population could face water shortages. Additionally, 3.6 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services, and 1.7 billion lack basic sanitation.
• Air pollution is a major health threat, causing over 4 million deaths annually. Indoor air pollution, primarily from burning coal, wood, and dung for cooking and heating, is responsible for at least 3 million of these deaths, disproportionately affecting women and children in poor households.
• Industrial agriculture is described as unsustainable, contributing to approximately one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and causing the loss of fertile soil and biodiversity. The document highlights a paradox where one-third of food is wasted while hunger increases in 70 of the poorest countries.
• Current consumption patterns, particularly among the wealthy, are unsustainable; the document states that by 2050, three planets would be needed to support current lifestyles. Plastic pollution is cited as a severe symptom, with an estimated 12 million tonnes of plastic entering oceans annually and over 5 trillion pieces of plastic currently floating in the seas.
• Environmental crises are inextricably linked to social injustice, as the poorest and most marginalized populations 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 impacts.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). vatican-sei-v10-20231205-it-d57ca361a0b2f1aa.pdf. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/vatican-sei-v10-20231205-it.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. vatican-sei-v10-20231205-it-d57ca361a0b2f1aa.pdf. n.d. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/vatican-sei-v10-20231205-it.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=vatican-sei-v10-20231205-it-d57ca361a0b2f1aa.pdf |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/vatican-sei-v10-20231205-it.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendvaticanseiv1020231205itd57ca361a0b2f1aapdf, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{vatican-sei-v10-20231205-it-d57ca361a0b2f1aa.pdf}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/vatican-sei-v10-20231205-it.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }