A look back at Pope Francis’s environmental legacy

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🗞️ Driving the news: Pope Francis has died at 88, leaving behind a powerful climate legacy
• His environmental advocacy reached 1.3 billion Catholics and global leaders alike
• He championed climate justice as a moral, social, and spiritual responsibility

🔭 The context: His 2015 Laudato Si’ encyclical shifted the Church’s climate engagement
• It condemned consumerism and supported the scientific consensus on global warming
• The document preceded COP21 and influenced climate diplomacy among Catholic nations

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Pope Francis connected ecological destruction with moral failure
• He urged protection for the world’s poorest, most affected by climate breakdown
• His teachings helped mobilise faith-based climate action and global cooperation

⏭️ What's next: His messages will continue to inspire climate resilience and equity efforts
• He called for fossil fuel phaseout and financial justice for developing countries
• The Vatican remains active in climate forums and hosted its own resilience summit

💬 One quote: “The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth” — Pope Francis, Laudato Si’

📈 One stat: The richest 1 billion emit over 50% of global emissions, while the poorest 3 billion suffer 75% of damage

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