Vatican to Become First Carbon-Neutral State?

Similar to Pope John Paul II, the current Pope has an eco-friendly heart. Most recently, he has announced that he would like Vatican City to be the first carbon-neutral state. Here’s more via PBS.

The Holy See has embarked on a new mission: the fight against climate change. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI announced that Vatican City would strive to become the first carbon-neutral state. Although the Vatican’s plan to purchase carbon offset credits fell through, the sovereign city-state has harnessed the power of the sun with solar panels and a solar generator, and has also made progress with energy conservation efforts. Pope Benedict has added a religious element to the climate change debate by framing the issue as a moral imperative.

To discuss these unprecedented efforts, Need to Know’s Alison Stewart spoke with Mark Hopkins, an energy expert with the United Nations Foundation who has 30 years of experience in energy policy and program development. Hopkins toured the Vatican’s new energy efficient facilities last year.

This post is a quickie, a way for us to share more news with you by linking to good stories on other sites.

Photo Credit:  treviño via flickr under a CC license

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top